LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



I 



BROWDER'S PULPIT; 



OR, 



THE LOGIC OF THe'^EW COVENANT. 



/ 



// 



TJ. M. BROWDER, V. D. M. 







S 



4^ 



'''' Not for that we have dominion over your faith, hut are helpers: 
of your joy.'''' — Paul.. 




ST. LOUIS : 

CHRISTIAN PUBLTSIimG COMPANY, 

1888. 



V 



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^^l'^' 




CJopyright, 1887, bj 
U. M. BROWDER, 



LC Control Number 




tmp96 026529 



PEEFAOE. 



We are conscious of the fact that we live in a 
fast age of the world, an age of science, discov- 
eries, inventions and progress. This is an age of 
religious doubts and political vacillation. There 
never has been in our history a period so full of 
doubt and uneasiness, as to the virtue of the old 
creeds, in both religion and politics, as the present 
one. This is also an age of great men, who, per- 
haps, never entertain any fears of exhausting the 
patience of the reading public, nor their own store 
of knowledge. This is an age of literary growth 
and development. We live in an age of the world 
when it is popular to write books for the public 
eye, provided the author is novel in his choice of 
subjects and sensational in his manner. 

This is our first book, and we are certain that it 
is not free from mistakes. We believe that the 
merit of a book of this kind should depend not so 
much upon its bulk as the thoughtfulness of the 
writer. However, the author knows that among 
the things that float down the stream of time, the 
largest is the least likely to sink and the most 
likely to be seen. 



ir PREFACE. 

It is popular in writing books to prelnde them 
with an apology for having done so ; and also to 
speak of the many difficulties the authors labored 
under during their preparation. But the author of 
these pages has neither apology nor complaints to 
offer, but he has good and sufficient reasons, he 
thinks, for offering to the reading public this 
work. 

It is because the author believes that the sub- 
jects discussed in this work are very important, 
and therefore interesting, that he has undertaken 
to prepare it for the press. He also believes he 
can reach a certain class of readers who are gener- 
ally neglected in the works of the Brotherhood, 
because they are over-shot. The aim of the pres- 
ent volume is to set forth, in a plain and simple 
style, Jesus Christ as the Savior of men, and the 
New Testament as the only means of his appoint- 
ment in order to the accomplishment of that end. 
It is proposed, also, to expose some of the more 
prominent, glaring misrepresentations heaped 
upon our people by ignorant sectarians. 

This book will be found perfectly innocent of 
polish, free from much learning, and not a single 
rhetorical flight will be found in its pages. The 
work was produced, therefore, not to make a show 
of much learning, nor to sell ink and paper, but to 
aid in the conversion of sinners to God, and to 
build up and strengthen the Diciples of Christ in 
their most holy work of faith and love. These 



PBBFAOB. T 

pages were written amidst a press of other labors, 
besides the cares and anxieties and duties of a 
pastor and temperance worker. 

And if, in this feeble effort, we have shed some 
light upon the great subject of man's salvation 
from sin, we are satisfied. As it is, we commit 
this work to the reading public, hoping thereby to 
do some good in the way of leading sinners " from 
darkness to light, and from the power of Satan 
xmto God." The Author. 

Macomb, III, July 4, ISS7. 



CONTENTS. 



Preface ....... s 

Jesus the Christ . . . . . , d 

The Ministry of Reconciliation; or, God*s Method 

OF Saving Sinners. - .... 31 
The Process of Regeneration . . . .53 
Three Baptisms — In Water, in Holy Spirit, and in 

PiRE ..... . . 93 

Baptists on the Design op Baptism . . . 103 

True Loyalty ...... 147 

The Sabbath . . . . . . . 135 

The Eternity op Future Punishhbnt . . . llT 



BROWDER'S PULPIT. 



JESUS THE CHRIST. 

"J believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.^^—Act8S:S7. 

We enter upon this discussion with more than 
ordinary anticipations of real and lasting pleas- 
ure ; "because it is delightful and soul-inspiring to 
contemplate, in the light of the Christian Scrip- 
tures, the distinguished Personage represented in 
our text as the Son of God. 

Where shall we begin with this investigation? 
You may travel back through the centuries of the 
past, and he is the enigma of history and the 
wonder of all the ages. You may continue this 
journey till you reach the silent morning of crea- 
tion, and there you will find him with the Father 
decorating the sky with heavenly lights and set- 
ting bounds to the waters. 

The Scriptures teach that the Son of God existed 

before the creation of the material universe. It is, 

of course, difiicult for us to understand in what 

form he existed before creation began, yet John 

9 



10 JESUS THE CHEIST. 

tells US that before the world was he was the 
Word, with God, and separate from God. As the 
Word of God, he is represented as being the 
medinm through which the exhibition of God's 
creative power was made in the formation of the 
material world and the creation of man. We 
acknowledge, on the start, that our conceptions of 
his boundless perfections are poor and limited; 
that our distorted pictures of his perfections and 
character, when compared with what angels know 
of him, are but little better than a caricature. 
But we know something of his manifold graces 
and his nature from what we read of him in the 
Word of Eternal Truth ; and of these we love to 
speak and write in our humble way. 

We will consider the Lord Jesus Christ in his 
relations to the purpose of God, the promise of 
God, the propTiecies of early times, and the facts 
of the New Testament. 
I. Christ in Purpose. 
II. Christ in Promise. 

m. Christ in Prophecy. 

IV. Christ in Fact. 

CHRIST IK PURPOSE. 

What we mean by Christ in purpose is, what 
God intended, or designed to accomplish, through 
Christ, " according to his good pleasure which he 
hath purposed in himself." 



JESUS THE OHEIST. 11 

*'The eternal purpose wMch he purposed in 
Christ Jesus our Lord" (Eph. 3: 11), contained 
Christ as Savior of the race of mankind, and the 
Gospel system of salvation which was to be pub- 
lished to the race by Christ. 

In Eph. 1 : 7-12, Paul says : "In whom we have 
redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of 
sins, according to the riches of his grace ; wherein 
he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and 
prudence ; having made known unto us the myste- 
ry of his will, according to his good pleasure which 
he hath purposed in himself ; that in the dispensa- 
tion of the fulness of times he might gather to- 
gether in one all things in Christ, both which are 
in heaven and which are on earth ; even in him : in 
whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being 
predestinated according to the purpose of him who 
worketh all things after the counsel of his own 
will ; that we should be to the praise of his glory, 
who first trusted in Christ." Here we learn that 
all God did in providing means for the education 
and salvation of the race of man, was in exact 
harmony with, or, '' according to the eternal pur- 
pose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord." 
Here we find, not only Christ in the " eternal pur- 
pose " of God, but the entire system of human 
redemption, to be published, or made known, to 
both Jews and Gentiles, for the obedience of faith. 
'' Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy 
calling, not according to our works, but according 



12 JESUS THE CHRIST. 

to Ms own purpose and grace, which was given us 
in Christ Jesus before the world began ; but is 
now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior 
Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath 
brought life and immortality to light through the 
gospel/' 2 Tim. 1 : 9, 10. 

From these Scriptures we learn. — 

1. That God, *' before the world began," "pur- 
posed in himself," ''according to his good pleas- 
ure," to '* abolish death." 

2. That Jesus Christ should disclose, or bring 
to light, on his arrival to this world, '* life and 
immortality," '' through the gospel." 

3. He purposed also to reconcile both Jews and 
Gentiles '' in one body by the cross, having slain 
the enmity thereby." 

These grand blessings and privileges were first 
"given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." 
It was in Christ Jesus our Lord that the Heavenly 
Father " abounded toward us in all wisdom and 
prudence," and "before the world began" this 
"hidden wisdom" was ordained of God unto our 
glory, but kept a secret, for " none of the princes 
of this world knew " it. There was a time previous 
to which it was truthfully said, "Eye hath not 
seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the 
heart of man the things which God hath prepared 
for them that love him." Thus, Jesus Christ and 
the plan of salvation were given unto us in the 
purpose of God before the world began. The 



JESUS THE 0HBI8T. 13 

whole plan of saving the world, the conditions of 
remission of sins, the promise of this world and 
the world to come, all came to the world just as 
they were originally purposed in Jesus Christ. 

CHRIST IN PROMISE. 

All that the purpose of God contained concern- 
ing Jesus Christ and the gospel to be given to the 
world by him is now given to man in promise. 
This is the first promise of a Savior to perishing 
humanity. We find all in the promise that we 
found in the eternal purpose of God. This prom- 
ise God first made to Abraham, as recorded in 
Genesis : " And Jehovah said to Abraham, Go 
from thy land, and from thy kindred, and from 
thy father's house, to the land that I will show 
thee. And I will make thee a great nation ; and I 
will bless thee, and will make thy name great, and 
thou shalt be a blessing. And I will bless them 
that bless thee, and him that curses thee will I 
curse. And in thee shall all the families of the earth 
be blest." Gen. 12 : 1-3, (Conant's translation). 

About 4,000 years ago, Abraham, a Chaldean 
shepherd, was called out from Ur of Chaldees, at 
which time Jehovah made the promise to him, " In 
thee shall all families of the earth be blest." 

The call of Abraham marks the beginning of 
Jewish history, and the prominence given to Abra- 
ham in the Bible, as a representative man, most 



14 JESUS THE CHEIST. 

wonderfully indicates the purpose of G-od in the 
creation and organization of the Jewish nation. 
Abraham, according to the above Scripture, was 
to be a representative man in two important par- 
ticulars, namely : First. He was to be XhQ flesh- 
ly father of the Jewish nation. Secondly. He was 
to be the religious father of all God's faithful 
children. 

The organization, therefore, of the Jewish na- 
tion, with Abraham at its head, was designed by 
God as a repository for the preservation of God's 
covenants and promises, and as a medium through 
which the blessings of the promise God made to 
Abraham might be offered to all the families of 
the earth. This is abundantly manifest from 
Paul's comment, " Christ hath redeemed us from 
the curse of the law, being made a curse for us : 
for it is written, cursed is every one that hangeth 
on a tree, that the blessing of Abraham might 
come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ ; that 
we might receive the promise of the Spirit through 
faith. Now to Abraham and his seed were the 
promises made. He saith not, and to seeds, as of 
many ; but as of one, and to thy seed, which is 
Christ." Gal. 3: 13-16. And again at verse 18 
of same chapter, Paul says: ''For if the inher- 
itance be of the law, it is no more of promise, but 
God gave it to Abraham by promise." 

As we advance to the meaning of the promise 



JESUS THE CHRIST. 15 

we have a better understanding of Grod's eternal 
purpose in Christ. 

The foolish idea attached to the promise of God 
to Abraham by Universalists, namely, that this 
is a promise of unconditional universal salvation 
in Christy making all mankind the spiritual de- 
scendants of Abraham and recipients of the bless- 
ings contained in the promise, is most wonder- 
fully exploded by Paul in the following : '' Know 
ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same 
are the children of Abraham. And the Scripture, 
foreseeing that God would justify the heathen 
through faith, preached before the gospel unto 
Abraham, saying. In thee shall all nations be 
blessed. So then they which be of faith are 
blessed with faithful Abraham." Gal. 3 : 7-9. 
"He that believeth not shall be damned." — Jesus. 

The promise of God to Abraham contains Christ, 
the gospel, the church of the first born, and the 
promise of salvation from sin and eternal salva- 
tion to all who comply with the conditions laid 
down by Jesus Christ in the gospel. 

At this juncture in the discussion, we desire to 
give some attention to a common mistake among 
speakers and writers respecting the first promise 
of Christ to the world as Savior. It is claimed 
by a majority of our authors that Gen. 3: 15 con- 
tains the j^r^^ promise of Christ to mankind. But 
this is not true. Gen. 3: 15 cannot contain the 
first promise of Christ, for the following reasons : 



16 JESUS THE CHEIST. 

1. This language was addressed directly and 
personally to the Devil in tlie form of a serpent. 
And, to say the least, God would hardly employ 
that kind of a medium through which to make all 
the future ages of the world happy in the glorious 
anticipation of the coming Savior, unless it would 
T)e on the ''old score" of the time of superstition^ 
" that the hair of the dog is good for his bite." 
Preachers should know "better. 

2. This theory flatly contradicts Paul's calcu- 
lation of the time that elapsed between the giv- 
ing of the law from Mount Sinai and the promise 
of God, ''In thee shall all nations be blessed," 
which Paul says, " was four hundred and thirty 
years." This theory misses the true time about 
2000 years. 

3. The ISTew Testament writers do not recognize 
Gen. 3: 15 as containing a promise of Christ to 
the world, as Savior. 

4. The N"ew Testament says, " To Abraham and 
his seed were the promises made." (Gal. 3 : 16). 

5. Abraham, and not the Devil, is the father of 
the faithful. (Gal. 3 : 7-8). 

6. The gospel (in promise) was first preached to 
Abraham, and not the Devil. " God gave it to 
Abraham by promise," we know, but we never 
heard or read of his giving it to anybody else 
before Abraham's day. 

7. Gen. 3 : 15 is not the language of a promise, 
"but of a threat; a declaration of war between the 



JESUS THE CHEIST. 17 

Devil, our great enemy, and mankind, the perpetu- 
ity of which is plainly seen by the fact that the 
enmity put between the serpent and the woman 
was to follow down the line of their posterity 
through all the future ages of the world. The 
very necessity for the existence of hell itself is 
explained by this awful declaration of war which 
has been waged against the people of God in all 
the dispensations of religion since the world 
began. 

By this declaration of war the good are separa- 
ted from the bad by a great gulf, bridged over by 
regeneration, over which men and women may 
pass in time, during the reign of Christ as King ; 
but this mighty gulf plows its way through time 
into eternity, deepening and widening as men wax 
worse, till finely it crosses the fatal line and enters 
the eternal world, when it becomes an impassable 
gulf. 

Perhaps, in all that God ever said to man^ 
devils or angels, this is the most comprehen- 
sive declaration known to us. 

That this language implies that Jesus Christ 
will lead in the great battle against sin and Satan, 
as the Captain of our salvation, is very evident, 
but it is by no means the first promise of Christ. 

It is surprising that learned men, truly great 
men, teachers of the people, should locate the 
first promise of Christ in Gen. 3: 15. 

2 



18 JESUS THE CHRIST. 

When we carefully examine tlie parties to the 
transaction narrated in this passage, we find, in 
the very nature of the case, no necessity for any 
such promise ; and hence, the absence of that kind 
of language. Now, according to the commonly 
accepted interpretation of this text, Jehovah God 
of Genesis is the promiser and the Devil is the 
promised^ and the thing promised was the Mggest 
job of '' 'bruising " ever known to mortal man on 
earth or angels in heaven. In the very nature of 
the case, believing, as we do, that God is a God of 
order, we would expect first a declaration of war, 
tlien the promise of the Captain of our salvation. 
There is a grand order in the revelations of God to 
man that cannot be ignored with impunity. 

CHRIST 11^ PROPHECY. 

Jesus the Christ, whether viewed in God's eter- 
nal purpose, or his promise to Abraham, or in the 
prophetic light of the Jewish age of the world, is 
the sunlight of every dispensation of religion 
established since the world began; first reflected 
by the stars of the Patriarchal age, then by the 
moon of the Jewish age, and finally he becomes 
the risen Sun of the moral universe, ''the light 
of the world," dispelling all the clouds of the 
shadowy past. 

The prophets were inspired to look down 
through the vista of the future, and to predict the 



JESUS THE CHRIST. 19 

coming Christ, thus interpreting the purpose and 
promise of God to the natural offspring of Abra- 
ham. The prophecy concerning Christ will "be 
found to contain all that God had purposed and 
promised. 

Of the ''use of prophecy" Dr. Smith says : 
''Predictive prophecy is at once apart and an 
evidence of revelation ; at the time that it is deliv- 
ered, and until its fulfilment, a part ; after it has 
been fulfilled, an evidence. St. Peter (2 Pet. 1 : 19) 
describes it as ' a light shining in a dark place,' 
or ' a taper glimmering where there is nothing to 
reflect its rays,' that is, throwing some light, but 
only a feeble light compared with what is shed 
from the Gospel history. But after fulfilment, St. 
Peter says, ' the word of prophecy ' becomes ' more 
sure ' than it was before ; that is, it is no longer 
merely a feeble light to guide, but it is a firm 
ground of confidence, and, combined with the 
apostolic testimony, serves as a trustworthy evi- 
dence of the faith." The Jews expected Christ to 
come because they had been so taught by the 
prophets. The light of prophecy had been glim- 
mering in the old world throughout the prophetic 
age, when it is represented as a star, guiding the 
magi of the East to the birthplace of the Savior. 
It would be more difficult to determine how these 
magi learned the significance of this star, provided 
we call it a miraculous meteor, than it would to 
believe that this star stands for the light of proph- 



20 JESUS THE CHRIST. 

ecy, or in other words, their ^knowledge of the time 
and place of the birth of the King of the Jews, de- 
rived from the prophets. If we grant that the star 
was a miracle, then, the necessity for a second mir- 
acle arises, to explain the significance of the first. 
We have more faith in prophecy tlian to believe 
that this star was a miraculous meteor. Because the 
star that guided the magi ''came and stood over 
where the child was," thus preventing them from 
entering the wrong house, is no evidence of the star 
being a miraculous meteor ; for the knowledge of 
the event of the birth of Jesus derived from the 
predictions of the prophets, which were fulfilled at 
the time and place of the birth of Jesus, would be 
represented in a figure as resting over the place 
where the young child was. To be sure, the 
predictions concerning the birth of Christ were 
fulfilled in that event. The prophecy ended there. 
When Herod " demanded " of the priesthood 
and scribes "where Christ should be born," their 
reply to him was, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for 
thus it is written by the prophets, And thou 
Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least 
among the princes of Juda: for out of thee 
shall come a governor, that shall rule my people 
Israel." Matt. 2: 4-6. 

1. Balaam, in Num. 24 : 15-19, represents Christ 
as a Star coming out of Jacob, and a King who 
shall smite and destroy. 

2. Moses represents Christ as a Prophet like 



JESUS THE CHEIST. 21 

unto himself; the author of a new government 
and a leader of the people. Dent. 18 : 15. 

3. Isaiah represents Jesus Christ as teaching 
the world a new religion, and judging among the 
nations, and organizing the government of God on 
earth. Isa. 2 : 1-5. 

4. The '^ Counselor" among the nations of the 
earth. Isa. 9 : 5-7. 

5. " The Everlasting Father," that is, the Father 
of the future age — the Christian age. 

6. " The Prince of Peaces '^ And suddenly 
there was with the angel a multitude of the 
heavenly host, praising God, and saying, Glory to 
God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will 
toward men." Luke 2 : 13, 14. 

Just as the prophet predicted, so was it an- 
nounced at the birth of Christ. He came to give 
to the obedient " the peace of God that passeth all 
understanding." His reign was to be a reign of 
peace to all who accept him. 

"Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and 
those that follow after, as many as have spoken, 
have likewise foretold of these days." Peter had 
just quoted a prophetic statement from Moses 
(Dent. 18 : 15) in testimony of the Messiahship of 
Christ, then he adds that all the prophets of the 
Old Testament times, in regular order, beginning 
with Samuel, had voiced the same sentiment 
respecting the times, or days, of Christ. Then he 
tells them that they "are the children of the 



22 JESUS THE CHEIST. 

prophets, and of the covenant which God made 
with onr father Abraham, And in thy seed shall 
all the kindreds of the earth be Messed." Acts 
3: 22-25, 

Thus we find that "the prophecy came not in 
old time by the will of man, but holy men of God 
spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." 
(2 Peter 1 : 21). And they uniformly predicted of 
the coming Christ and his rule on the earth. 
Hence, we find Christ not only in the purpose and 
promise of God, but we find that " the testimony of 
Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy." Christ acknowl- 
edges this to be true when he begins at " Moses 
and all the prophets, he expounded unto them ia 
all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.'^ 
Luke 24 : 27. 

CHRIST IlSr FACT. 

Christ first in the purpose of God, then in the 
promise God made to Abraham, then in the 
prophecies of Old Testament times, and lastly, 
Christ in fact; a grand and glorious reality, the 
real Son of God among men. He was "in the 
beginning with God," and '' all things were made 
by him," but the "Word became Christ in fact 
when it " was made flesh, and dwelt among us," 
when "we beheld his glory, the glory as of the 
only begotten of the Father," "full of grace and 
truth ; " by whom the Father " hath in these last 



JESUS THE CHRIST. 23 

days spoken unto us," "who being tlie brightness 
of his glory, and the express image of his person, 
and upholding all things by the word of his power, 
when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down 
on the right hand of the Majesty on high; being 
made so much better than the angels, as he hath 
by inheritance obtained a more excellent name 
than they." Behold, the Christ is here in fact ^ as 
the great teacher of men, the representative of 
God, the Savior of men, the object of our faith. 

The Christ of purpose, the Christ of promise, the 
Christ of prophecy, is now the Christ of history. 
He is the grandest and most sublime fact in 
history, as well as the soul of the Bible. It is a 
fact now that he was born in Bethlehem of Judea. 
He has come to us as the real Son of Grod, and 
tells us the object of his mission to this world. 
"For the Son of man is come to seek and save 
that which was lost." Like the eunuch of our text, 
we are called upon to " believe that Jesus Christ 
is the Son of God." This brings us to the exam- 
ination of the text which stands at the beginning of 
this discourse. 

According to the eighth chapter of Acts, " the 
angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying. 
Arise, and go toward the south, unto the way that 
goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is 
desert, and he arose and went ; and, behold, a man 
of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under 
Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who had the 



24 JESUS THE CHEIST. 

charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jeru- 
salem for to worship, was returning, and sitting 
in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. , Then 
the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join 
thyself to this chariot." 

If the reader will examine carefully the par- 
ties to this transaction, he will learn the grand 
work of the Holy Spirit in the regeneration of 
sinners. Here, now, we have a sinner seeking 
to understand the word of God, and also a 
regular preacher of the gospel of Christ. The 
Holy Spirit does not operate directly upon the 
sinner, but operates upon the preacher, by say- 
ing to him, ^'Go near, and join thyself to this 
chariot." For in this age of the church, the min- 
isters of God were directed by the Holy Spirit, 
through words, just as we should now be guided 
by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God. 
The Spirit's work, you see, in the salvation of the 
eunuch, was to bring the preacher of the gospel of 
Christ and the unconverted man together. That 
is his work to-day. This single case will serve to 
illustrate the whole scope of the Spirit's work in 
the salvation of man through Christ. Philip, as 
he was directed by the Spirit, ran to the chariot, 
and when he found the eunuch reading from the 
prophecy of Esaias, asked him if he under- 
stood what he was reading. The eunuch answer- 
ed, ^'How can I, except some man should 
<z:uide me?" 



JESUS THE CHKIST. 25 

Then he invited Philip up to sit with him. The 
Scripture he was reading was this : 

" He was led as a sheep to the slaughter ; and 
like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened 
he not his mouth. In his humiliation his judg- 
ment was taken away: and who shall declare his 
generation? for his life is taken from the earth." 
(Acts 8 : 26-33). 

N^ow the eunuch desires to know, '' Of whom 
speaketh the prophet this ? of himself or of some 
other man?" Here we have Christ in prophecy y 
but this man of authority did not know it, hence, 
the necessity of the ministry. " Then Philip open- 
ed his mouth and began at the same Scripture, 
and preached unto him Jesus." That is, preached 
unto the eunuch Jesus Christ in fact^ showing 
that this prophecy was falfilled in Jesus Christ. 
Whether this man had ever heard of Jesus be- 
fore or not is a question, but one thing is certain, 
this is the first time he had ever heard Jesus 
spoken of by one of his friends. The word 
preached unto him by Philip opened up his un- 
derstanding and pierced him to the heart to such 
a degree that when they '' came unto a certain 
water" he demands baptism at the hands of 
Philip. '' See, here is water ; what doth hinder me 
to bo baptized ?" Are the modern sects prepared 
for this question ? No ; there is not a man among 
them who dares to give a scriptural answer to this 



26 JESUS THE CHEIST. 

question. Suppose we put them to the test. 
" What doth hinder me to be baptized?" 

Methodist Preacher: "Why, sir, you were 
sprinkled when an infant." 

Eunuch: "No, Mr. Preacher, I never heard of 
such a thing as sprinkling for baptism in all my 
life." 

Then the M. E. preacher replies : " Very well, 
I can't baptize you till your six months' probation 
expires, any way." 

Baptist Preacher : "Well, sir, until you can 
relate a Baptist experience of sins forgiven this 
will hinder you from being baptized." 

Eunuch : " Dear sir, I never heard of but one 
man by that name, and his experience, according 
to his history, was such that I don't care to try 
it. I am not to lose my head in order to become a 
Christian, if men do in order to become Baptists, 
so you will excuse me." 

Presbyterian Preacher: "Immersion, sir, is 
not the practice of our church ; besides the water 
to-day is too cold." 

Unixersalist Preacher: "Neither present nor 
future salvation is conditioned on being baptized, 
and if you have been vaccinated, it is just as 
good ; we will take you just as you are." 

Here the authority of Jesus Christ is set aside 
and human inventions take its place. 

But what was Philip's answer ? " If thou be- 
lievest with all thine heart, thou mayest." The 



JESUS THE CHRIST. 27 

eunuch replies in the language of our text, "I 
believe that Jesas Christ is the Son of God." 
Upon this profession of his faith in Jesus Christ as 
the Son of God, Philip "baptized him into Christ, 
*' in whom we have redemption through his blood, 
the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of 
Ms grace" (Eph. 1 : 7), and therefore baptized him 
for the remission of his sins. (Acts 2 : 38). 

There is one thing, perhaps, the reader up to 
this time has not thought of, and that is, Philip 
in preaching unto the eunuch Jesus must have 
spoken of the importance of Christian baptism, 
or the eunuch could not have demanded it at his 
hands. This is evident. No man can preach 
Jesus without preaching baptism as a condition 
of forgiveness of sins, along with the other condi- 
tions, such as faitJi^ repentance and confession. 

Now, since Christ has come in fact, he has laid 
down the terms upon w^hich he proposes to '' seek 
and to save that which was lost." Paul says that 
the "purpose and grace "of God, "which was 
given us in Christ Jesus before the world began," 
" is now made manifest by the appearing of our 
Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, 
and hath brought life and immortality to light 
through the gospel." 

So, you see, the purpose, promise and prophecy 
of Jesus Christ are now all embodied in the gos- 
pel of Christ. The gospel is the medium through 
which God brings to light his plans and purposes 



28 JESUS THE CHRIST. 

in the salvation of the race. To reject the gospel 
is to reject all. Expel the influence of Christ from 
the world, and society is a miserable wreck. 
Expel Christ from history, and nothing remains 
lout desolation. This would drive the race of man- 
kind into eternal night, and forever blast and de- 
stroy the hopes of all ages. 

He is the hope of the world. He is the divine 
author of the Christian system. He is the only 
perfect man known to the history of the world. 
He is our model. Jesus Christ, " who spake as 
never man spake," and lived as never man lived, 
is represented to us by both his friends and ene- 
mies as the author of that system of Christian 
ethics found in the New Testament ; that system 
of moral principles which alone can furnish the 
correct rules of moral living. Our means of know- 
ing all about his moral character are found in that 
system of v/hich he is the author. Indeed, his 
personal and moral excellence must agree with 
that system of ethics, and by that system his per- 
fect character is proved. One of the strong proofs 
of the real character of Christ is found in the fact 
stated by Soame Jenyn, in his ''Internal Evi- 
dence," that Christ is the only " founder of relig- 
ion, in the history of mankind, which is totally 
unconnected with all Jiuman policy and govern- 
ment, and therefore totally unconducive to any 
worldly purpose wJiatever,'^^ "All others, Ma- 
homet, Numa, and even Moses himself, blended 



JESUS THE CHBIST. 



29 



their religions institutions with their civil, and loy 
them obtained dominion over their respective peo- 
ple ; bnt Christ neither aimed at, nor would accept 
of, any such power. He rejected every object 
which all other men pursue, and made choice of 
all those which others fly from and are afraid of ; 
he refused power, riches, honor and pleasures, and 
courted poverty, ignominy, tortures and death." 

It appears that his only object in establishing 
the Christian system was to elevate humanity at 
any sacrifice whatever. That system of moral 
principles which comes to us through the igno- 
minious death of Christ has stood the thunderbolts 
of the infidel world for more than eighteen hun- 
dred years, and to-day that system furnishes 
abundant evidence of his pure, heavenly charac- 
ter, and establishes the Scriptures beyond the 
reach of the combined powers of infidelity. Am- 
bition has been the motive power which has actu- 
ated all the founders of false religions, and 
excellence, superiority, and eagerness for fame, 
the only objects. These speak of their character. 
But can anything of the sort be said of Christ ? 
"No. As says Mr. Jenyn, " I defy history to show 
one who ever made his own sufierings and death 
a necessary part of his original plan, and essential 
to his mission. This Christ actually did; he 
foresaw, foretold, declared their necessity, and 
voluntarily endured them." O, what wonderful 
proofs of his heavenly character and mission. 



30 JTESUS THE CHRIST. 

among men ! Do infidels stop to consider this 
argument in favor of the Christian's faith ? No ; 
it is entirely overlooked hy them. They spend 
their time in looking up, in a technical manner, 
what they fancy is a contradiction in revealed 
religion. And out of this they construct their 
hobby-horse, and ride through society doing their 
disastrous work. 

"But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews 
a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolish- 
ness ; but unto them which are called, both Jews 
and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the 
wisdom of God." Let us bow at his feet and learn 
the lessons of life. He is the great Teacher. 
Then we shall be enabled to say, in the language 
of the text, " I believe that Jesus Christ is th3 Son 
of God." 



THE MIISriSTEY OF EECOlSrOILIA- 

TlOIsr ; 

OE QOD'S METMOD OF SAVING SINNEBS. 

" Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did 
beseech you by us ; we pray you in ChnsVs stead, be ye recon- 
ciled to God.^'—S Cor, 5 :W, 

We have chosen the above passage purely as a 
starting point in the discussion of one of the most 
important subjects in the world of thought — God^s 
Method of Saving Sinners. The investigation of 
this subject is of universal interest and impor- 
tance ; it includes the race of mankind ; our happi- 
ness for time and eternity is made to depend 
upon it. The destiny of our race is suspended 
upon the means of salvation appointed by God 
himself. It is our purpose in this discourse to 
look for God's plan of saving sinners, to examine 
it in its parts, and to recommend it as a harmo- 
nious whole to the serious and prayerful consid- 
eration of all who may chance to read these pages. 

The world is rapidly growing weary of human 
creeds and confessions of faith formulated without 
regard for the teachings of Christ and the apostles 
of the Kew Testament. Let us therefore ascer- 
tain, by a careful examination of the Word of 

God, what God's method of saving sinners is. 

31 



32 THE MINISTEY OF EECOKCILIATION. 

"We are all more or less acquainted with the doc-^ 
trines of the creeds of Christendom, and we know 
them to l3e worthless, because they are out of har- 
mony with the will of Grod. All creeds, confes- 
sions of faith and articles of religion agree that 
man is alienated from God by wicked works ; that 
man is in a state of enmity, and, being thus sepa- 
rated from God, that he must be reconciled to 
God or die an enemy of the cross of Christ, and 
perish. Now, the Scriptures plainly declare that 
God has undertaken the reconciliation of man' to 
himself, employing just such means as he saw fit, 
in his infinite wisdom, to accomplish that end. 
And it is the purpose of the present discourse to 
ascertain, in the light of the Word of God, just 
what God's plan of reconciling man is. And in 
order to reach satisfactory conclusions in this in- 
vestigation we will observe the following order in 
the discussion : 

/. Show Tiow God proposes to reconcile the 
world to himself. 

II. The part Christ performs in the recon- 
ciliation of man. 

Ill The legitimate worTc of ChrisVs ambassa- 
dors in the salvation of man. 

IV. The qualifications of ChrisVs ambassa- 
dors. 

V. The terms of reconciliation. 

In pursuance of this order we are to examine — 



THE MIJSriSTRY OF RECONCILIATION. 3B 

I. How Grod proposes to reconcile the world to 
Mmself. The settlement of this proposition, as 
seen on the yerj face of it, is purely a question of 
revelation. What has God said on the subject? 
What do the Scriptures teach on the subject?' 
How has God promised to reconcile the world 
to himself? These are vital questions that now^ 
specicilly concern us. 

JSTow, to be reconciled to God can mean no^ 
less than to be saved by God, brought into 
agreement with God, into a state of reconcilia- 
tion — ^pardoned and justified. This reconcilia- 
tion is not mutual^ as has been supposed, but 
the word implies God's purpose and plan to 
reconcile the enemies of the cross of Christ to 
himself. This word indicates a change to be 
effected, but let it be remembered that man, 
not God, is the subject of that cTiange. It 
contemplates a cliange of lieart^ cTiaracter and 
state ^ on the part of man. All of which is evi- 
dently included in the message of reconciliation. 
Thus the a^-07i^-ment, or reconciliation, of the 
world is effected. 

AVe read in the Discipline of the Methodist 
Church that '' the Godhead and manhood were 
joined together in one person, never to be di- 
vided, whereof is one Christ, very God and very 
man, who truly suffered, was crucified, dead and 
buried, to reconcile Ids Father to us^ and to be 

a sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but r/.sc> 
3 



'34 THE MIIN^ISTRY OF EECOI^CILIATIO]^. 

for the actual sins of men." Perhaps this is 
one of the most absurd^ unreasonable^ and un- 
scriptural statements to be found in the Eng- 
lish language on the subject. The M. E. Church 
having Tbeen found so far wrong on this mtal 
doctrine of the IN'ew Testament, it is not sur- 
prising to see her wrong in almost all of her 
teaching on the subject of salvation. It is not 
God^ bat man, who needs reconciliation. Besides, 
the statement above, quoted from the M, E. Dis- 
cipline, is a palpable contradiction of the plain 
statement of the Word of God on the subject. 
But to the question in hand. 

As to how God proposes to reconcile sinners, 
we cite the following Scriptures : '^ Therefore if 
any man be in Christ, he is a new creature : 
old things are passed away ; behold, all things 
•afe become new. All things are of God, who 
Tiath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, 
and hath given to us the ministry of reconcilia- 
tion ; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconcil- 
ing the world unto himself, not imputing their 
trespasses unto them ; and hath committed unto 
us the word of reconciliation." 3 Cor. 5 : 17-19. 
From this Scripture we learn, (1) that, notwith- 
standing the message of reconciliation had been 
placed in the hands of Christ's chosen ambas. 
sadors, who themselves had been reconciled to 
God, that " all things are of God." That he is 
the author of the plan^ and that " all things 



I 



THE MINISTRY OF RECOlSrCILIATIOlS'. 35 

that . pertain nnto life and godliness^' are under 
the directions of his divine power. And (2) 
that God proposes to reconcile sinners to him- 
self, in CTirist. There is, therefore, no promise 
or offer of salvation out of Christ. In Christ 
God offers to meet the world and to reconcile sin- 
ners to himself. Paul declares that God had 
given to us the ministry of reconciliation, 
" To wit," namely^ " that God was in Christ 
reconciling the world unto himself." God saves, 
l3ut he saves through Christ, who is the Mediator, 
through whom God has purposed to accomplish 
the reconciliation of a perishing world. In Christ 
sinners may be reconciled, for God has recorded 
his name there. He made a deposit of " all spirit- 
ual blessings in the heavenly place," in Christ, "in 
whom we have redemption through his blood, the 
forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his 
grace." (1) According to the passage already 
cited, God reconciles the world to himself in 
Christ. (2) According to Eph. 1 : 3, God placed 
all spiritual blessings in Christ. (3) According to 
Eph. 1:7, "redemption" and "forgiveness of 
sins " are offered to sinners in Christ. (4) Ac- 
cording to 2 Tim. 1:1, and 1 Jno. 5 : 11, eternal 
life is offered to the world in Christ only. (5) 
" For all the promises of God in him are yea, and 
in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us." 
(2 Cor. 1 : 20). We are made new creatures in 
Christ, not out of Christ. The reconciled are rep- 



36 THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATIOIT. 

resented as the new creation, Paul emphatic ally 
declares that this new creation is effected in Christ. 
God is the Creator, and the saved are the crea- 
tures or creation. " For we are his workmanship, 
created in Christ/' etc. (Eph. 1 : 10). "If any man 
be in Christ he is a new creature." I^ow, the 
fact that God only offers to reconcile sinners in 
Christ can not be ignored. Those who make the 
direct appeal to God for "converting power" z^- 
nore the mission of Jesus Christ to this world, the 
Mediator sliip oi Christ and God's ^Zar^ of recon- 
ciliation. Let the reader remember that "in 
Christ dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodi- 
ly." To Christ God committed the work of saving 
the world. By reference to the seventeenth chapter 
of John, you will see Christ's acknowledgment of 
that fact: "As thou hast sent me into the worlds 
even so have I also sent them into the world." 

//. The part (Jlirist performs in the reconcil- 
iation of man. 

Christ Jesus the Lord is the first great minis- 
ter in the reconciliation of a lost world to God. 
He was made the Alpha and Omega of the plan of 
redemption, "who is the beginning, the first born 
from the dead ; that in all things he might have 
the pre-eminence. For it pleased the Father 
that in him should all fulness dwell ; and 
having made peace through the blood of the cross, 
by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by 



THE MmiSTRY OF EECOISrCILIATIOlS'. 37 

Mm, I say, whether they be things in earth or 
things in heaven. And you, that were sometime 
alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked 
works, yet now hath he reconciled.-' Col. 1 : 18- 
21. 

The word aposile means one who is sent^ and in 
this sense it is applied to onr Lord. Paul to the 
Hebrews says: ''Wherefore, holy brethren, par- 
takers of the heavenly calling, consider the 
Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ 
Jesus, who was faithful to him that appointed 
him, as also Moses was faithful in all his 
liouse." *Heb. 3: 1-2. ''For God sent not his 
Son into the world to condemn the world, but that 
the world through him might be saved." Paul, in 
contrasting the priesthood of Christ with the 
Levitical priesthood, says : " But now hath he 
obtained a more excellent ministry, by how 
much also he is the Mediator of a better cove- 
nant, [testament] which was established upon 
better promises." " For God so loved the world 
that lie gave his only begotten Son, that whoso- 
ever believeth in him should not perish, but have 
eternal life." Jno. 3 : 16. Christ was sent to the 
y^omldi to develop and carry out Qodi^s plan of rec- 
onciliation; to ratify that plan by the willing 
sacrifice of himself, and then to fix the terms of 
reconciliation and to have them published to the 
world. In the process of development, Christ 
1. Demonstrated the truth and dimnity of the 



38 THE MINISTRY OF EECO]N"CILIATIOI^. 

'plan of salvation^ by the interposition of mira" 
cles^ by wliicli his claims to be the MessioJi were 
established. 2. He formulated the law of par- 
don, fixing the terms of salvation from sin, and 
organized the '' ministry of reconciliation," and 
committed to that ministry the message of recon- 
ciliation^ qualifying them to publish it and con- 
firm it to the alienated sons of Adam's race. 3. 
v"When this was done God exalted him to the 
tJiTone of the universe, and he '' sat down on 
the right hand of the Majesty on high," when the 
climax of God's apj)roval came thundering down 
from the throne of the universe : '' Thy ilirone^ O 
God^ is forever and ever ; a scepter of rigMeous- 
ness is ilie scepter of tliy Mngdom!''^ As he is we 
behold him, (1) as the ruler over all creatures; 
all divine authority is exercised in his name ; (2) 
as the Tiead of the church ; (3) the great object of 
human and angelic adoration; (4) "heir of all 
things," '' the brightness " of his Father's glory 
"and the express image of his person." 

''Let every kindred, every tribe, 

On this terrestrial ball, 
To Him all majesty ascribe, 
And crown Kim Lord of aU." 

111. The legitimate tcork of CJwisfs ambassa- 
dors in the salvation of man. 

Under this head we have special use for the 
text. '' Now then we are ambassadors for Christy 



THE MINISTEY OF EECOJS^CILIATION. 39 

as tliougli God did beseech you by ns; we pray 
you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." 
Bloomfield renders the above passage thus : " Ir 
the exercise then, of this office of reconciliation^ 
we, the apostles of Christ, are ambassadors on the 
part of Christ." " N'ow then we are ambassadors 
for Christ." Tyndal renders, ''iN'ow then are we 
messengers in the room of Christ." In order to a 
better understanding of the work of the apos- 
ties of Jesus Christ in the reconciliation of man to 
God, and to know the /orc^ of apostolic authority, 
we shall define the term ambassador : " A minis- 
ter of the highest rank, employed by one prince or 
state, at the court of another, to manage the public 
concerns of his own prince or state, and represent- 
ing the power and dignity of his sovereign." — Web- 
ster, In connection with Webster's definition of 
this word, we propose to show that the New Testa- 
ment use of the word is precisely the same : " Not 
that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any- 
thing as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of 
God ; who also hath made us able ministers of the 
New testament ; not of the letter (the law), but of 
the spirit (administration of the gospel) ; for the 
letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." — PauL 
Again the same author says : " For we preach not 
ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord ; and our- 
selves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, 
who commanded the light to shine out of dark- 
ness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light 



40 THE MIKISTEY OF RECOJS'CILIATIO]^. 

of the knowledge of the glory of Grod in the face of 
Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earth- 
en vessels, that the excellency of the power may 
he of God, and not of us."^ — Paul. 

iSTow, from the definition of the term ambassador, 
and its 'New Testament use, which are in perfect 
accord, we learn — 

1. That the ambassadors, or apostles, of the 
liord Jesus Christ were ministers of the highest 
rank. 

2. That they were employed by the rightful 
sovereign of the universe to manage the public 
concerns of the exalted Prince. 

3. That they were, by the reception of the Holy 
Spirit on the day of Pentecost, made representa- 
tives of the "power and dignity''^ of Jesus Christ in 
the reconciliation of the world to God. 

4. " The word of reconciliation " '' committed '' 
unto them, was the ]^ew Testament, of which 
God made them '' able ministers^ 

Now, if this be God's method of saving sin- 
ners, the apostles cut quite a figure in the plan 
of salvation ; they perform a very important part 
indeed, and the place they occupy in God's 
method of salvation as an indispensable factor 
€an not be ignored except at the expense of 
eternal truth. At this juncture in the discussion, 
we desire briefly to notice some of the tremen- 
dous evils resulting from the rejp.cHon of this view 
of the subject by the sects of our land : 



THE MINISTRY OF RECOJSTCILIATIO]^. 41 

1. They ignore apostolic authority "by appeal- 
ing directly to God for what they term '' convert- 
ing power." 

2. It was the prolific mother which gave birth 
to the mourners^ bench system of revivalism^ which 
takes the place of faith in Christ and cheerful 
obedience to the gospel. 

3. It is the source from which flows the stream 
of sectarian names, creeds^ confessions of faith, 
and the doctrines and commandments of men, 
whose tendency is to infidelity. 

4. It is the rejection of apostolic authority 
which fosters sprinkling for baptism^ and rejects 
baptism for remission of alien sins, which is as 
plainly taught in the ISTew Testament as the divin- 
ity of Christ. These are only a, few of the many 
evils growing out of this sin of religious infidelity. 
Yes, we mean just what we say. Wlien R. G. 
Ingersoll rejects the Bible we call him an infidel^ 
and he does not object. But religious fanatics 
who reject full one-half of all Christ published to 
the world through the inspired apostles, object if 
we are modest enough to call them semi-infidels. 
The charge is just. Persons are not bound to re- 
ject the whole Bible to be justly called infidels. 
Of course, multiplied thousands are ignorant, but 
not so with the leaders of sectarian thouglit. 
The work of the apostles in the salvation of 
the world must be accepted ; this is the way 
God has appointed to reach the world with the 



43 THE MINISTEY OP EECOJSTCILIATIOI^. 

means of salvatioiio Let iis prove tMs proposition 
by Scriptures not yet cited in this discussion. 

We call attention to the grand commission giv- 
en by Christ to the apostles just before he left 
this world — the proclamation of the terms of rec- 
onciliation : 

" And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, 
All power is given unto me in heaven and in 
earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, 
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and 
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,^' etc. Matt. 
28 : 18, 19. And again : "And he said unto them. 
Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to 
every creature. He that believeth and is baptized 
shall be saved ; but he that believeth not shall be 
damned." Mark 16 : 15, 16. Can we not plainly 
see that Christ committed the whole plan of salva- 
tion to the apostles. Now, to reject the apos- 
tles is to reject Christ, for Paul plainly declares 
in the text, " We pray you in Christ's stead, 
be ye reconciled to God." Now from the com-, 
mission we learn — 

1. That the faith that works by love, without 
which it is impossible to please God, " comes by 
hearing the word of God " proclaimed by the 
ambassadors of Christ. So you see, the faith of 
the world is made to depend upon the apostles 
after all. 

2. That our knowledge of Jesus Christ as Sa- 
vior depends upon the apostles of Christ. " Go 



i 



THE MINISTEY OF EECOJ^-CILIATIOK. 43 

ye therefore, and teach all nations." ^' How then 
shall they call on him in whom they have not be- 
lieved? And how shall they believe in him of 
whom they have not heard ? And how shall they 
hear without a preacher ? And how shall they 
preach, except they be sent ? As it is writ- 
ten, how beautiful are the feet of them that 
preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad 
tidings." Rom. 10: 14,15. There is no earthly 
escape from the logical conclusion. The gospel 
was committed to the apostles ; hence, Jesus says : 
" I have given them thy tvord.^^ And again, " As 
thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I 
also sent them into the world." ''N'either pray I 
for these (apostles) alone, but for them also which 
shall believe on me through their word." How 
clearly these precious words of Christ show the 
part performed by his inspired apostles in the 
reconciliation of sinners to God. 

Finally, when Paul was made an apostle, or 
ambassador of Christ, Christ tells him that his 
work is ''to open their eyes and to turn them 
from darkness to light, and from the power of 
Satan unto Grod, that they may receive forgive- 
ness of sins, and inheritance among them which are 
sanctified by faith that is in me." " He that hear* 
eth you heareth me ; and he that despise th you 
despiseth me ; and he that despiseth me despiseth 
him that sent me." — Jesus. May God help us to 



44 THE MINISTRY OF RECOI^CILIATIO]^. 

accept Christ through the teaching of his own 
chosen apostles. 

IV. The qualifications of Chrisfs ambassadors. 

Under this head but little need be said, for all 
who admit that the apostles were chosen by Jesus 
Christ will also agree with us that they were 
qualified by him to perform the duties of their 
office in the salvation of the race. Tlie apostolic 
office must be recognized as one of very great dig- 
nity and responsibility; and the fact that God 
never exalts a man to office without j^r6"^ qualify- 
ing him to perform its functions, makes the dis- 
cussion easy. 

The reader will remember that Paul says: 
^' But our sufficiency is of Grod ; who also hath 
made us able ministers of the New Testament," 
etc. And again, " For Grod, who commanded the 
light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in 
our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of 
the glory of Grod in the face of Jesus Christ." 

This passage is proof of the inspiration of the 
apostles of Jesus Christ. Grod " commanded the 
light.^'^ He enlightened their minds by revealing 
unto them the gospel system of salvation through 
the Holy Spirit. God, at the creation of the phys- 
ical universe, commanded, "Let there he light, 
and there was llght,''^ So, in the opening of the new 
creation he " commanded the light to shine out of 
darkness," and it was so. Thus the apostles 
were "made able ministers of the New Testa- 



THE MIJNTISTRY OF RECOl^CILIATIOlSr. 45 

ment;'' thus they were qualified "to give the light 
of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of 
Jesus Christ^^ 

God illuminated them for the work of proclaim- 
ing the glad tidings of salvation to a perishing 
world. " But you shall receive power, when the 
Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be wit- 
nesses for me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and 
Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth. '^ 
Acts 1 ;^, as rendered hy Professor J, W, McGar- 
vey. 

The apostles were qualified for the work of the 
ministry when they were " endued with power 
from on high ;" when they received the Holy Spirit 
on the day of Pentecost, as recorded in the second 
of Acts. And as the called^ qualified and sent of 
God, they represent " all power in heaven and in 
earth." The qualifications of the ambassadors of 
Christ may be summed up thus : 

1. They were qualified to hear testimony to the 
fact that Jesus is the Christy the Son of God. 

To qualify the apostles to testify concerning 
Christ, it was necessary for them to both see and 
hear him, after his resurrection from the dead ; 
therefore, " he showed himself alive after his pas- 
sion by many infallible proofs, being seen of 
them forty days, and speaking of the things per- 
taining to the kingdom of God." Acts 1 : 3. For 
this same purpose he showed himself unto Saul. 
"But rise, and stand upon thy feet; for I have 



46 THE MII^ISTEY OF EECOKCILIATION'. 

appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make 
thee a minister and a witness, both of these things 
which thou hast seen, and of those things in the 
which I will appear unto thee." Acts 26 : 16. 

2. They were qualified to reveal the plan of 
salvation to the world of mankind. 

It will not do to saj that the system of salva- 
tion rests on human testimony for proof of its 
validity, but upon Divine testimony. Jesus pre- 
luded the apostolic commission with these words : 
"All power is given unto me in heaven and in 
earth ;" then he adds, '^ Go ye, therefore, and 
teach all nations." etc. That is, " go " for this 
reason. 

3. They ivere qualified to enact such laivs as 
God saw fit, in his infinite wisdom, to govern the 
Disciples of Christ. 

The second part of the commission^ as given by 
Matthew, applies here, " Teaching them," that is^ 
the baptized, '' to observe all things whatsoever I 
have commanded you," that is, commanded you 
to teach, "and, lo, I am with you always, even 
unto the end of the world. Amen." 

4. They toere qualified to establish in the Church 
of Christ all the ordinances of God's appointment. 

See 1 Cor. 11 : 23. The keys of the kingdom^ 
of heaven were given to the apostles by Christ 
himself, that whatsoever they bound on earth 
should be ratified in heaven. Whatever the apos- 
tles did was by Divine authority. Now, intelli- 



THE MIJ^ISTRY OF RECONCILIATION. 47 

gent reader, if the latter-day system of mourners' 
bench revivalism was communicated to the apos- 
tles by Jesus Christ, and delivered to the Church 
by the apostles, it is of divine authority, and you 
ought to receive it as such ; but on the other hand, 
if by looking through the New Testament you 
cannot find this doctrine, not even a single men- 
tion of it, either by Christ or the apostles, you 
ought to reject it as an unauthorized human 
INVENTION. If '^sprinkling," "pouring," "six 
months' probation," and the "mourners' bench," 
are any part of God's method of salvation, it 
is our duty to receive them ; but if you should 
look the whole plan of salvation through, and 
could not find these doctrines once mentioned in 
all the word of God — then what? Then it be- 
comes your duty to reject them as basely false. 
To make a short matter of this, let me say, the 
word of God does not once mention any of these 
practices. They are wholly human, and unauthor- 
ized by the word of God, and therefore evil. These 
doctrines form no part of the system of salvation 
given to the world by Christ and his apostles. 
Why should a man of ordinary intelligence hold 
to and believe in these doctrines, when he knows 
they are not once mentioned in all the Bible ? As 
well might we contend for the practice of polyga- 
my, so far as the gospel is concerned ; for one is 
as unscriptural as the other. 



48 THD MliS^ISTKY OF EECOI^CILIATION. 

V. The terms of reconciliation. 

By the terms of reconciliation we mean the con- 
ditions of ixtrdon fixed by the Lord Jesus Christ, 
and proclaimed to the world by the inspired 
apostles. Salvation from sin is conditional, and 
it was the right of Christ to say just what should 
be the conditions upon which he would pardon the 
sinner. That our Lord has the right to stipulate 
the terms or conditions of remission of sins is as 
unquestionably certain as the fact that he is the 
Savior of mankind. To douht his right to do so is 
to douht the truth of the K'ew Testament and ques- 
tion the veracity of both Christ and his apostles. 
He possesses " all power in heaven and in earth ^^ 
and claimed the right to lay down the condi- 
tions of reconciliation for the race. 'Now who 
that believes the Scriptures to be a revelation 
from God will deny Jesus Christ the right to say 
just what sinners must do in order to pardon ? 

Under this head it shall be our aim to point out 
the terms of reconciliation in the order in which 
they were delivered unto us by the apostles of 
Christ, whose duty it was to represent Christ in 
the proclamation of the gospel of our salvation. 
What are the terms set forth by the Savior ? This 
is a vital question and one upon which the salva- 
tion of the world depends. Let us, therefore, be 
very careful, lest we misrepresent the Lord of our 
salvation and be found guilty of ''handling the 
word of God deceitfully." Christ is the author of 



THE MII^ISTRY OF EECONCILIATIOIS'. 49 

the terms of pardon as well as the law of pardon, 
and we are hound to suhmit to the terms ordered 
by him, or be found guilty of rejecting the means 
of salvation appointed by him. There is no es- 
cape from this conclusion. The gospel of Christ 
does^ or does not contain the plan of salvation. 
Which shall we say? 

If you say it does, we shall move on with this 
investigation pleasantly, and we shall agree 
throughout the entire discussion. Indeed, we ap- 
prehend no difflculty whatever, except from that 
class of religionists who are tied to human creeds 
and speculative theology, and who virtually deny 
that the New Testament contains the whole of the 
jplan of salvation. This is a grave charge, to be 
sure, but nevertheless it is true. Persons who 
contend for the abstract operation of the Holy 
Spirit, and " converting power directly from heav- 
en," thereby ignoring the teachings of Christ 
and the apostles, in the very nature of things 
cannot believe that the gospel contains the whole 
plan of redemption. But we start out with this 
understanding, that the New Testament, of which 
Paul says God made us '' able ministers,'* 
contains the whole plan of salvation from sia 
and final salvation in " the world to come." 

The word of God, the gospel of the Son of 
God, either does or does not contain the law of 
pardon and the stipulated conditions upon which 



50 THE MrsriSTRY OF EECOJS'CILIATION". 

pardon is offered to sinners. If it does, then we, 
as a people, are right; if it does not^ tlien all 
the world is at sea. "We now invite the critical 
attention of the reader to the terms of pardon or 
reconciliation, and the order in which they stand 
in the ''Word of Reconciliation." 

1. To hear. This involves the necessity of 
preaching the "word of reconciliation," the gos- 
pel of our salvation, to the world- Because " the 
world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God 
by the foolishness of preaching to save them 
that believe." Hence, the language of the com- 
mission, '* Go ye therefore, and teach all na- 
tions," etc. '' Go ye into all the world, and 
preach the gospel to every creature." '' So then 
faith Cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word 
of God." Rom. 10: 17. 

2. Faith. Remember that Paul says, ''faith 
comes by hearing the word of God." "Without 
faith," Paul says, '' it is impossible to please " 
God. Christ says: "He that believeth not shall 
be damned." Now, is this not enough to satisfy 
any sane person that faith in Jesus Christ is an 
essential condition of pardon ? 

3. Repentance. Repentance follows after faith, 
and, in fact, is produced by faith — grows out of 
faith. Paul tells us that God "commanded all 
men every where to repent." 

4. Confession of Jesus Christ tvith the mouth, he- 
fore men. This, like faith and repentance, is a 



THE MINISTRY OF RECOJSTCILIATION. 51 

command of God. It is an act of obedience in or- 
der to salvation. 

5. Immersion into the name of the Father^ the 
Son, and Holy Spirit. Matt. 28 : 19. Chrisc says 
emphatically, '' He that believeth and is baptized 
shall be saved." Mark. 16:16. Christ either 
meant what he said or something else. Which is 
it ? There is no dodging the force of this lan- 
guage. The apostle on Pentecost says baptism is 
for remission of sins. Did he tell the truth ? As 
we expect to have considerable to say on the de- 
sign of baptism in another discourse prepared for 
this work, we will not discuss the subject at 
length here. 

6. Pardon. Here we desire to speak of par- 
don for the sake of the order in the law of par- 
don. 

7. The gift of the Holy Spirit^ which is re- 
ceived, mind you, " because we are sons," not to 
make us sons, as taught by some. (Gal. 4 : 6; 
Acts 2 : 38). This is God's order of things. All, 
therefore, who believe the gospel, repent^ confess the 
Savior and obey the Lord in baptism^ are reconcil- 
ed^ or pardoned and justified, and have been made 
one with Christ. 

Finally, dear reader, we entreat you to accept 
the terms of reconciliation to God, as they are 
stipulated by the Christ, sealed by his precious 
blood and proclaimed to the world by his di- 
vinely inspired ambassabors ; that you may, " ac- 



52 THE MIjS-ISTEY of RECOl^CILIATIOi^. 

cording to Ms abundant mercy,-' be begotten to 
a living hope '' by the resurrection of Jesus Christ 
from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible 
and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved 
in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of 
Grod through faith unto salvation ready to be re- 
vealed in the last time." 

Do you realize the uncertainty of life and the 
certainty of death ? Act at once, act now. O, 
what a slender thread is life : 

" There is a tide in the affairs of men 

Which taken at its flood leads on to fortune; 

Omitted. aU the voyage of their life 
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.'' 



THE PEOOESS OF EEGEKERATION. 

'' And Jesus said unto them^ Verily I say unto you^ that ye 
which have followed me, in the regeneration lohen the Son of man 
shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve 
thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.''^— Matt. 19 : 28, 

These are the words of Jesns in his reply to 
Peter's question : " Behold, we have forsaken all, 
and followed thee : what shall we have there- 
fore ?" This was introduced "by the case of the man 
who had refused to dispose of his property and 
follow Christ, because he more highly esteemed 
his earthly possessions than the treasures of eter- 
nal life offered by Christ on the conditions that he 
should go sell what he had and give it to the poor, 
and come and follow Christ. N'ow, the very thing 
he refused to do — to follow Christ — Peter and oth- 
er disciples had done, and now Peter desires to 
know what the reward is to be. Hence, the re- 
ply of Christ was not, as many have interpret- 
ed it, namely, that he speaks of the disciples as 
having followed him through the regeneration, 
for there is no connection between ^' in the regen- 
eration," and the preceeding clause, ''ye who have 
followed me," but the connection is clearly mark- 
ed by that period during which the apostles were 
to sit on the thrones, the beginning of which is 
pointedly fixed by the words, '' When the Son of 

63 



54 THE PEOCESS OF REGENEEATIOIS". 

man shall sit on the throne of his gloiy." Jesus 
had not passed through the regeneration, nor had 
he even begun the regeneration, only in so far as 
he had been preparing the materials ; hence there 
was no sense in which the apostles could have 
followed him in the regeneration. 

This passage plainly marks out a period of 
regeneration, cotemporaneous with the period of 
the mediatorial reign of Jesus Christ ; hence, the 
process of regeneration could not begin till Christ 
was crowned King of kings and Lord of lords. 
This period and process of regeneration commenc- 
ed with the day of Pentecost after the ascension 
of Christ to heaven, and will continue "till he 
hath put all enemies under his feet," " then com- 
eth the end, when he shall have delivered up the 
kingdom to God, even the Father ; when he shall 
have put down all rule and all authority and 
power." (1 Cor. 15 : 24, 25). 

Prof. J. W. McGarvey, in his commentary, says : 
" Regeneration means, either the process of regen- 
erating, or the result attained by that process, ac- 
cording to the context in which it is found. Here 
(Matt. 19 : 28) it evidently means the former, for 
it designates a period during which the apostles 
would sit on the thrones," etc. Evidently Christ 
alluded to the process of regenerating sinners, 
which he knew would begin with the beginning of 
his reigUy when the gospel system of salvation 
should be opened to a perishing world by his 



THE PKOCESS OF EEGEJSTERATIOlSr. 55 

chosen apostles, who were to "be authorized and 
qualified to occupy the throne of judgment among 
men on earth, respecting matters of faith in the 
Christ and obedience to his divine law, loj 
which sinners were to be regenerated, or born 
again. And it must be remembered that the whole 
process of regeneration is meant, which has been 
in progress ever since the day of Pentecost. We 
therefore use the term "regeneration" as de- 
noting the icliole process of turning to God, and 
not merely as denoting the result of that pro- 
cess, or the state into which we are brought by 
the process. And while the term is here employ- 
ed to indicate the whole process of turning to 
God, it is proper to say that it is the' name of that 
process, which does not consist of a single act or 
thing, but a process which consists of every mor- 
al change essential to the full salvation of sin- 
ners. It is the purpose of this discourse to ex- 
amine the process of regeneration in its parts, 
that we may ascertain what are the essential 
elements of that great process by which we are 
made new creatures in Christ. If regeneration 
is the name of that great spiritual change which 
brings sinners from darkness to light and from 
the power of Satan to God, this investigation 
should be pursued with prayerful hearts and very 
great care. 

What is the current meaning of the term ? 

Regeneration is a theological expression in com- 



56 THE PEOCESS OF EEOEIN-EEATIOIS^. 

mon use among all the religious sects throughout 
the civilized world, and its current meaning is that 
spiritual change which passes on all in becoming 
Christians. Now, to ascertain more fully the 
meaning of this term, Bro. Campbell says : " Mo- 
ses calls the creation, or whole process of forma- 
tion of the heavens and the earth, ' The genera- 
tion of the heavens and the earth V The account 
of the formation of Adam and Eve, and also the 
account of the creation of Adam and Eve, are, by 
the same writer, called ' the book or record of the 
generations of Adam.' This is the literal import 
of the word ; consequently, regeneration literally 
indicates the whole process of renovating, or new- 
creating man." It is the process of the new cre- 
ation we are to investigate. But you find the 
same agencies and instrumentalities employed in 
the new creation that were present in the physical 
creation ; the only difference being found in the 
fact that in the generation or creation of the mate- 
rial universe God operated through agents and in- 
struments on 'matter^ but in re- generation^ or the 
new creation of man, God operates on mind. In 
the physical creation we have, first, the Holy Spirit 
as the agent. The creative power that brought 
the material universe into being was put forth 
through the agency of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit 
of God brooded over the face of the waters, and 
thus order was brought out of chaos. Secondly, 
the Word of God was the instrument. God said : 



THE PEOCESS OF EEGEN^ERATION. 57 

^^ Let there Tbe light; and there was light." The 
same thing is true of the ''new creation." The 
Holy Spirit is God's agent, and the gospel of Jesus 
Christ, the word of his power, is his instrument 
in the re -generation of man. 

This prepares us for a fair and impartial discus-t 
sion of re-generation as a process of turning to 
Crod, the modus operandi established "by God him- 
self in the new creation, the process which em- 
bodies every essential element of a perfect system 
of human redemption. 

Now, with these introductory remarks before us, 
we are prepared to enter at once upon the discus- 
sion of the process of regeneration, in its essential 
parts. 

Regeneration consists of three moral changes, 
viz : 

I. A change of affections^ or change of heart. 

IL A change of character. 

HI. A change of state^ or rdation. 

This order is not only suggested by the Scrip- 
tures, but by a careful examination it will be 
found in exact harmony with the constitution of 
man. 

These changes are essential to regeneration. 
'No man can be said to be regenerated, or born 
again, until these changes have been effected in 
him. How, then, are these changes brought 
about ? What does the law of the Lord provide 
to this end ? 



58 THE PEOCESS OF EEGEJN-ERATION. 

I. The change of man^s affections, or hearty is 
"produced hy faith in Jesus Christ. 

Faith, is the belief of testimony. The object of 
faith is Jesus Christ. The testimony of faith is the 
gospel of the Son of Grod. It follows, therefore, 
that Christ is the creed of his church. Faith is 
the act of man. Faith, is a condition of remission 
of sins, and therefore essential to regeneration. 
"Faith comes by hearing the word of God," and 
can come in no other way ; the word of God, there- 
fore, is essential to faith. Faith is not the direct 
gift of God, as our religious neighbors suppose, 
for faith is an act of our own, but the testimony 
of faith is the gift of God. The word of God is 
the seed of new life in Christ, and faith is the 
first fruit of that seed. It is for this reason that 
faith occupies the first place in the order of this 
discussion. " Without faith," Paul says, " it is 
impossible to please " God, " for he that cometh 
to God must believe that he is, and that he is a 
rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Heb. 
11 : 6. " But he that believeth not shall be 
damned. ' ' — Jesus. 

There is, therefore, a very important place in 
the process of regeneration occupied by 
faith. There is no regeneration without faith. 
It is the first step in tlnsit process. In fact, the sin- 
ner's right or privilege to become a son of God 
depends on his faith in Christ ; yea, more, the 
gospel of Christ only becomes the power of God 



^THE PROCESS OF REGEJS^ERATIOIT. 59 

for salvation to those who believe. (Jno. 1 : 12 ; 
Rom. 1 : 16.) These passages make the matter 
plain as to the place faith occupies in the process 
of regeneration. As to what faith does in the re- 
generation of the sinner, Paul, in Rom. 5 : 1, 2, says, 
" Therefore, being justified Iby faith, we have 
peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ ; 
"by whom also we have access by faith into this 
grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the 
glory of God." It is plain to be seen what faith 
does for our regeneration. We are regenerated 
and justified by faith precisely in the sense of this 
passage, namely, it is the means of " access into 
grace." 

Certainly every one admits that our salvation 
from sin is by grace, but it must not be forgotten 
that faith in Jesus Christ is the only access " into 
this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope 
of the glory of God." " For," says Paul, " by 
grace are ye saved through faith ; and that (grace) 
not of yourselves ; it is the gift of God." Eph. 
2: 8. 

Now, to farther prove that faith, in the economy 
of God, changes our hearts, or affections, the 
reader's careful attention is invited to Acts 15: 
7-9 : " And when there had been much disputing, 
Peter rose up, and said unto them. Men and 
brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God 
made choice among us that the Gentiles by my 
mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and 



60 THE PEOCESS OF EEGEl^EEATION. 

believe. And Grod, which knoweth the hearts, 
"bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, 
even as he did unto us; and put no difference 
"between us and them, purifying their hearts by 
faith." 

There are two important points in this pas- 
sage to which special attention is called, viz: 
(1) That faith in Christ comes to the sinner 
through '^ the word of the gospel " preached to 
his understanding ; (2) That the gospel thus 
heard and believed produces the change of the 
heart or affections. No man who believes the 
New Testament to contain the law and condi- 
tions of pardon will dispute this position. Thus 
the gospel system begins the regeneration of the 
sinner. When he is made to believe the story of 
the cross by having heard it related by the in- 
spired apostles, then his good will, his love for 
God and zealous attachment for the Christ, begin 
to be formed in the heart. Here is just where 
moral regeneration begins. " For with the heart 
man believeth unto righteousness ; and with the 
mouth confession is made unto salvation." Rom. 
10 : 10. Here the apostle argues, (1) that faith be- 
gins with the heart, and (2) that men must believe 
before they can confess their faith in Christ ; (3) 
that faith is in order to salvation. There is no 
religious act that can be performed by man prior 
to his faith in Christ ; and it was for this reason 
that Paul said, '' Without faith it is impossible to 



THE PROCESS OF REOElSrERATIOK. 61 

please Mm," and also, '' For whatsoever is not of 
faith is sin.'' This places the teaching of the Bap- 
tist Church in a had light, hut we are not responsi- 
ble for the false teaching of Baptists. Baptists 
teach that repentance, in the order of pardon, comes 
before faith ; that sinners must repent before 
they can helieve. This fallacy is also held by the 
Methodist Church. This position was taken by 
Rev. Gr. W. Hughey, D. D., in a discussion with 
the author. These teachers of the doctrines and 
commandments of men, have no regard whatever 
for the order of things established by Christ and 
his apostles. 

Now since we have shown what faith does in the 
regeneration of sinners, it is in order to show what 
it does not do in the salvation of sinners. And this 
we shall do by exposing the absurd doctrine of 

JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH ONLY. 

The following proposition will show just the 
sense in which the M. E. Church uses the term 
justification in its Discipline : 

" Wherefore that we are justified (in the sense 
of pardon) by faith only, is a most wholesome doc- 
trine and very full of comfort." G. W. Hughey, 
afiirmant. 

We discussed this proposition with the doctor, 
at New Douglas, Illinois, and his defeat was so 
prominent to his own brethren that some of them 



62 THE PEOCESS OF REGEJN^EBATION. 

remarked, "Hughey would be all right if that 
word only were not in the proposition." We dis- 
cussed the same proposition with Dr. Webster, a 
Presiding Elder of Ohio. N'ow, the fallacy of jus- 
tification by faith only is seen without a discus- 
sion ; it is false on the very face of it ; in the na- 
ture of things it is bound to be false. 

Justification by faith only means, (1) justifica- 
tion without repentance ; (2) without grace ; (3) 
without blood ; (4) without obedience to the com- 
mands of God ; (5) without the Holy Spirit ; (6) 
without the resurrection of Christ ; (7) without the 
" name of the Lord." 

The passages of Scripture in which the words 
only and alone occur in connection with faith 
do most emphatically contradict the faith alone 
theory of justification. "Even so faith, if it 
hath not works, is dead, being alone." James 2 : 17. 
Again : " Ye see then how that by works a man 
is justified, and not by faith only." James 2 : 24. 
Now let us compare the teaching of Dr. Hughey 
and his little hooh with the Apostle James and his 
hig hook. This is the proper way to settle this 
difiiculty. 

First. " Wherefore, that we are justified by 
faith only is a most wholesome doctrine and very 
full of comfort." — Hughey and the little hook. 

Second. " Ye see then how that by works a man 
is justified, and not by faith only.'' — Apostle 
James and the hig hooh 



THE PEOCESS OF REGEl^EEATION. 63 

Take your choice, reader. Which will you take ? 
the uninspired Methodist preacher, or the inspired 
Apostle James ? " Then Peter opened his mouth," 
just as Dr. Hughey's went shut, and said, '' Of a 
truth I perceive that God is no respecter of per- 
sons : but in every nation he that feareth him, and 
worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." 
Acts 10 : 34, 35. By reference to the 12 th chap- 
ter of John and verses 42 and 43, you will find a 
text against the faith alone theory, in these words : 
" Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many 
believed on him ; but because of the Pharisees 
they did not confess him, lest they should be 
put out of the synagogue: for they loved the 
praise of men more than the praise of God." Why 
were these rulers not saved? They believed on 
Christ. Simply because it takes more than faith 
to save, and that they refused to do. That's all. 
While the Word nowhere says we are saved or 
"justified by faith only," it does say plainly that 
we are not saved by faith only. And this forever 
sets the matter at rest. The doctrine of "justifi- 
cation by faith only " is therefore false and un- 
scriptural. From this conclusion there is no log- 
ical escape. The faith that changes the sinner's 
affections "works by love," and therefore never 
refuses to obey the commands of God. Notwith- 
standing faith is a condition of salvation from sin, 
it is the first step in regeneration. 



64 THE PROCESS OF REaEKERATION. 

'* Faith must obey our Father's will, 

As well as trust His grace ; 
A pard'ning God requires us still 

To walk in all His ways. 

" How vain are fancy's airy flights 

If faith be cold and dead ! 
None but a living pow'r unites 

To Christ, the living Head." 

II. The change of character is produced bif 
repentance. 

This brings ns to the second item and the sec- 
ond change in the process of regeneration. Faith 
produces repentance, vrhich is an important item 
in regeneration, and one that deserves a careful 
and candid investigation at this juncture of the 
discussion. It is now to Ibe observed that while 
faith is an essential condition of salvation from 
sin, that faith is not all of the process of regenera- 
tion, but an essential part of the whole plan, and 
that the nature of faith is such that repentance 
necessarily follows as next in order. We re-^ 
mark here that repentance is just as essential 
to the salvation of man as faith in Christ. The 
office of faith is one thing and that of repent- 
ance is another. Repentance does for man in 
the process of regeneration what faith does not 
do, hence the necessity of this condition. While 
repentance is in order to the same end, or, in 
other words, has the same design, it produces 
different effects on man. It effects in man a 



THE PROCESS OF REGENERATION. 65 

change essential to Ms salvation, which no other 
condition of salvation can produce. The neces- 
sity of repentance is based in this fact. The 
word of God produces faith^ land faith effects 
the change of man's affections^ and this leads to 
repentance. 

Repentance is used in different forms in the 
Scriptures; it is sometimes used with reference 
to God, and sometimes with reference to man. 
The terms repentance and repent^ as used in the 
New Testament Scriptures to denote the com- 
mand of God to sinners, and exclasively applied 
to man, is translated from the Greek metanoiOy 
and is essential to remission of sins. The diffi- 
culty in understanding this word arises from the- 
fact that it is translated from different Greek 
terms by the same English word. For example, 
(1) metanoioy in Acts 2 : 38 and Acts 3:19, ex- 
presses the command of God to alien sinners ; (2) 
metamelomai denotes sorrow or regret. The dif- 
ference in meaning, in consequence of the different. 
Greek words being translated by but one English 
word, is very prominent in 2 Cor. 7 : 8-10, thus r 
''For though I made you sorry with my epistle, I 
do not regret {metamelomai) it, though I did re- 
gret ; for I see that epistle made you sorry, though 
but for a season. ISTow I rejoice, not that ye were 
made sorry, but that ye were made sorry unto re- 
pentance {metanoian — reformation) for ye were 
made sorry after a godly sort, that ye might 

5 



€6 THE PROCESS OF REGEl^ERATION. 

suffer loss by us in nothing. For godly sorrow 
worketli repentance {metanoian — reformation) unto 
salvation, a repentance wliicli bringeth no regret" 
{metameleton). 

Prom tliis passage we learn that repentance 
means vastly more than sorrow for sin ; and sec- 
ondly, that ''godly sorrow" leads to repentance, 
which is in order to salvation from sin. Godly 
sorrow is not repentance, according to the New 
Testament teaching, but a condition or state of 
the mind, produced in man by faith in Jesus 
Christ, which leads to repentance. 

For example, take the Jews on Pentecost, who 
are represented as being '-pricked in their heart," 
which led them to ask the apostles what they must 
do to be saved. Peter commands them to repent, 
knowing that they, being pierced in the heart, had 
that "godly sorrow" which leads to repentance. 
Hepentance, then, must mean that change of mind 
which leads to reformation. Thus it is that re- 
pentance produces that moral change in man's 
character essential to regeneration. The change 
of mind produced in the Jews on the day of Pente- 
cost, which resulted in turning them from darkness 
to light, and led them to abstain from sin, consti- 
tuted their repentance. 

The account of Paul's visit to Athens, given in 
the 17th chapter of Acts, furnishes the reader 
with sufficient proof as to the universal import- 
ance and necessity of repentance. Here Paul 



THE PROCESS OF REOEKERATIOlSr. 67 

says : " And the times of this ignorance God 
winked at ; but now commandeth all men every- 
where to repent." "All men everywhere" does 
not mean all men in this and every other world, as 
taught "by modern universalists. This is a fallacy, 
an absurdity, for the gospel of Christ teaches 
nothing of the kind, but to the contrary, Paul 
says, '*For the grace of God that bringeth sal- 
vation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, 
denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should 
live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this pres- 
ent world." Titus 2 : 11, 12. Remember, sinner, 
that you must repent "in the present world," or 
perish. 

Peter, in the second chapter of Acts, commands 
the Jews to repent in order to remission of 
sins. Thus, according to the commission by Luke, 
"repentance and remission of sins " was preached 
in the name of Jesus Christ. Paul says, God 
" commandeth all men everywhere to repent : be- 
cause he hath appointed a day, in the which he 
will judge the world in righteousness by that Man 
whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given 
assurance nnto all men, in that he hath raised 
him from the dead." Acts 17: 30, 31. "Repent 
ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may 
be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall 
come from the presence of the Lord." Acts 3 : 19. 
Here we learn not only the purpose of repentance, 
but the absolute necessity of it as well. 



68 THE PEOCESS OF REGENERATION. 

From these passages it will be seen that the 
sinner's salvation from his past sins, and the hope 
of eternal life in the world to come, depend upon 
repentance; he mnst repent; it is the command of 
Almighty God to " all men everywhere " to repent. 
His character must be changed in this way. God 
is not a respecter of persons, but of character. 
'' Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of 
persons : but in every nation he that feareth him, 
and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.'^ 
Acts. 10 : 34, 35. 

The process of regeneration has, therefore, its 
faith in Christ, and also its repentance of sins. 
The first to purify the affections, or heart, and the 
second to purify the life, or character, of the alien 
sinner. But these are not all the conditions. God 
demands more than faith and repentance of the 
sinner, in order to his pardon and justification. 

We have now passed over two of the essential 
steps toward God, which fully prepare the sinner 
for admission into the one body — the church of 
the first born, where God has promised to meet 
him in the forgiveness of all his sins. Let the 
penitent go on, for still he hears the voice of Christ 
bidding him to come. 

*' Sweet is the friendly voice 
Which speaks of life and peace ; 

Which bids the penitent rejoice, 
And gives a sweet release.'' 



THE PEOCESS OF REGENERATIOlSr. 69 

III, The change of state^ or relation^ is pro- 
duced hy baptism. 

Baptism is the last act in the process of regen- 
eration, because by it that process is consumma- 
ted. It follows, therefore, that when a sinner is 
brought to believe from the heart that Jesus is the 
Christ, and repents and is baptized, he is regen- 
erated, or born again. Under this head the ^'wash- 
ing of regeneration " is to be examined. We have 
already examined the faith and repentance of re- 
generation, but it must not be forgotten that there 
is also a '^ washing of regeneration "to be consid- 
ered in this connection. But before we proceed 
with our arguments in support of the proposi- 
tion that the change of the penitent believer^s 
state is effected by baptism, we desire to give some 
attention to the oft-repeated charge of baptismal 
regeneration. 

The sects have charged it upon us thousands of 
times, that we are guilty of teaching baptismal 
regeneration. Now, one of two things is true, the 
sects are either ignorant, as dumb as Dagon before 
the Ark of God, or they are willfully dishonest, in 
making this charge upon us. The most charitable 
view that can be taken is that it is purely ignor- 
ance, sectarian blindness. 

1. They seem to know no difference between 
*' baptism for remission of sins" and ''baptismal 
regeneration." In fact, with the sects, these two 
expressions mean precisely the same thing. 



70 THE PEOCESS OF REaElS-EEATIOK. 

2. They seem to know no difference between 
baptism and regeneration. At least they will not 
give us the advantage of that knowledge if they 
possess it. If they have learned that baptism is 
one thing and regeneration is an other, they have 
not yet given publicity to it. Baptism, according 
to the concurrent testimony of all Bible critics and 
scholars, the confessions of faith, to say nothing 
of the plain statement of the apostle Paul, is the 
washing of regeneration, and not regeneration 
itself. We are not saved by regeneration, no more 
than we are saved by salvation, but we are said 
to be "saved by the washing of regeneration." 

3. Baptismal regeneration defined. Baptismal 
regeneration, fairly and honestly stated, is that an 
unconscious infant, receiving baptism, is by that 
rite regenerated, or born again, and thus becomes 
a child of God and an heir of heaven. That is, by 
baptism alone, for all other gospel conditions of 
salvation are left out of view. This is baptismal 
regeneration. 

This is, (1) baptism without the consent of the 
baptized and against his will ; (2) baptism with- 
out faith in Jesus Christ ; (3) it is baptism without 
repentence ; (4) this is baptism in which the sub- 
ject does not even know that such a being as 
Christ the Lord exists, much less to know that he 
ever commanded persons to ''be baptized." If re- 
generated at all, the infant is regenerated by bap- 
tism alone — ^baptism to the utter exclusion of 



THE PKOCESS OF REGEJVTERATIOJN". 71 

everything else. This is baptismal regeneration. 

Now, you are ready to ask, "Who is guilty ? We 
answer, Methodists, Presbyterians, Roman Catho- 
lics, and, in fact, all the baby-sprinkling churches 
on earth. Here we put the shoe on the other foot. 
We as a people never believed in baptismal regen- 
eration. But our religious neighbors do. That's 
the difference, you see. Like Haman, who at- 
tempted to destroy all the Jews of the Persian em- 
pire, and was hanged on the gallows he erected for 
Mordecai, we are pleased to leave our neighbors 
across the way hanging on the gallows created by 
their own logic. We have taken pains in this 
definition to define baptismal regeneration just as 
our religious enemies use the terms when charging 
it upon us as a people, and in doing so we have 
defined • and described a fallacy of which they 
themselves are guilty before God and men. Again, 
we say, this places the shoe on the other foot, 
where it properly belongs. Let our sectarian 
friends hereafter be just a little cautious to avoid 
this false charge. 

4. Baptism for remission of sins defined. 
" Baptism for remission of sins," defined in the 
light of New Testament teaching, and also as held 
by the Disciples of Christ, is the '' obedience of 
faith," the act of faith, faith actualized, faith made 
perfect, an act of obedience to a command of 
Christ, produced by faith, which brings the pen- 
itent into Christ, into remission of sins, the con- 



i2 THE PEOCESS OF EEGEXEEATIOX. 

dition hj which the penitent believer is placed 
where God has promised to bestow pardon upon 
him. It must be an act of faith in order to be 
Iffew Testament baptism. Hence, '' He that be- 
lieveth and is baptized shall be saved." — Jesus. 
Baptism is for remission of past sins in the sense 
of in order to forgiveness; just as faith and re- 
pentance are essential to forgiveness of sins, as we 
shall now proceed to prove. It is nnqnestionably 
certain that the sinner's state, or relation, must be 
changed in order to pardon and justification. He 
must attain to a relation which places him in 
proper position before God, in order to pardon. 
This change of relation is essential to pardon. 
Pardon is only promised to sinners in Christ; 
ience, what we mean bj a change of state, is in- 
duction into Christ, '' in whom we have redemp- 
tion through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, ac- 
cording to the riches of his grace.'' Eph. 1 : 7. 
"We are introduced into Christ by baptism, there- 
fore baptism is essential to that change of relation 
which brings ns into the redemption that is in 
Christ. 

TTe now proceed to arrange and bring forward 
the arguments in support of the proposition that 
Christian baptism produces the change of state, or 
relation, of the penitent believer, and is, therefore, 
in order to the remission of past sins. 

1. The first argument under this head is based 
upon the fact that salvation is offered to the world 



THE PROCESS OF REaE]SrERATIO]N'. 73 

in Christ only. This is important to the case in 
hand, and so much so that, if made out, we shall 
have no trouble whatever in settling the important 
place baptism occupies in the plan of salvation. 
In order to man's salvation, God has proposed 
to meet him in Christ, and there to reconcile man 
to himself, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, ' 
once for all. To establish this position beyond the 
reach of controversy, we will now cite the plain 
passages which, bearing directly upon the ques- 
tion under consideration, will shorten this discus- 
sion. 

2 Cor. 5 : 17-19 : " Therefore, if any man be in 
Christ, he is a new creature : old things are passed 
away ; behold, all things are become new. And all 
things are of God, who hath reconciled us to 
himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us 
the ministry of reconciliation; to-wit, that God 
was in Christ, reconciling the world unto him- 
self, not imputing their trespasses unto them; 
and hath committed unto us the word of recon- 
ciliation." 

Here Paul positively affirms '' that God was 
in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself;" 
so, you see, as we above stated, God proposes 
to meet the sinner " in Christ," and nowhere 
else. This is God's arrangement. This passage 
is sufficient, but we will cite others. This new 
creation is effected in Christ, and not out of Christ. 
Paul, in Eph. 2 : 10, says : '' For we are his work- 



74 THE PEOCESS OF EEGENERATIOJS^. 

mansMp, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, 
which God hath before ordained that we should 
walk in them." This is the new state into which 
baptism brings us. JN'ow, mind you, whatever act 
G-od has appointed for the purpose of bringing us 
into Chris t^ — the one body, the church — is the act 
which changes our state. Don't lose sight of this 
important thought, as we prosecute the argument. 

Eph. 1:3: " Blessed be the God and Father of 
our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with 
all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in 
Christ." If our heavenly Father has made a de- 
posit of all spiritual blessings ''in Christ," it is 
quite evident that remission of sins — salvation 
from sin — is included. Whatever act, therefore, 
which brings ns into Christ, brings us into " all 
spiritual blessings in the heavenly place." 

Yerse 7: ''In whom we have redemption 
through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, accord- 
ing to the riches of his grace." There is no need 
for an argument in favor of " remission in Christ," 
for here Paul plainly asserts it. It cannot be dis- 
puted. It is an established fact. The blood of 
Christ itself is represented as being deposited in 
Christ. It is by the blood of Christ we are saved, 
and that act which brings us into the body of 
Christ changes our state, and may be called the 
appropriating cause of our salvation, while the 
blood itself is the meritorious or procuring cause. 

Again, Paul says : " There is therefore now no 



THE PROCESS OF REGENERATIOlSr, 75 

condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, 
who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." 
(Romans 8 : 1). What does this declaration imply 
to the careful reader? That all out of Clirist are 
under condemnation. That is, persons capable of 
hearing, believing, and obeying the law of heaven. 
The "promises" of God are all "in Christ," the 
word of God plainly declares, and in order to 
reach them the sinner must take the steps neces- 
sary to that end. 

ISTow, that salvation cannot be attained out of 
Christ, is, we think, abundantly manifest from the 
Scriptures already cited. From this conclusion 
there is no possible escape ; we are logically forced 
to acknowledge that the position herein taken, re- 
specting salvation being offered to the world "in 
Christ" only, is not only tenable, but absolutely 
true, because plainly stated by the inspired 
apostle of our Lord. 

Paul, in Col. 1 : 13, 14, says : "Who hath de- 
livered us from the power of darkness, and hath 
translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son, 
in whom [that is, in Christ] we have redemption 
through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins." 
This is salvation in Christ, dear reader, "in 
whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and 
knowledge,'*' " for in him dwelleth all the fulness 
of the Godhead bodily.'" 



76 THE PEOCESS OF EEGE]S"EEATIOI^. 

//. Out second argument is drawn from the 
plain teacMng of Christ and the apostles with 
regard to the manner in which penitent believers 
''-put on Christ. ^'^ 

This is certainly an important argument, and 
should "be carefully and honestly considered. It 
is the more important since we have found that 
there is no salvation out of Christ. The reader's 
attention is at once called to the proof of this 
proposition: 1 Cor. 12:13: "For by one Spirit 
are we all baptized into one body, whether we 
be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or 
free ; and have been all made to drink into one 
Spirit." Here it is declared that the Corinthians 
were all baptized into one body ; hence it is plain 
that the purpose of baptism is to translate us into 
the new state, or relation, into the one body — the 
church. This is a plain statement of the place 
baptism occupies in the process of regeneration. 
If persons could pray into Christ, or repent into 
Christ, or believe into Christ, it would have been 
so stated in the word of God. Reader, remember 
that Paul says that " redemption through his 
blood," is in Christ. (Eph. 1:7.) 1. Forgiveness 
of sins is in Christ. 2. Baptism introduces the 
penitent into Christ. 3. Therefore baptism is es- 
sential to forgiveness of sins. Some have tried to 
evade the obvious meaning of this passage by con- 
tending that Paul had the baptism of the Holy 



THE PEOCESS OF REGEJS^EEATIOISr, 77 

Spirit in Ms mind when he said, "For by one 
spirit are we all baptized into one body." But 
this cannot be the meaning of the passage, for the 
following reasons, viz : (1) The Greek preposition 
en is employed to express agency^ or authority; 
hence, by the authority of the one Spirit you were 
all baptized into the one body. (2) This would 
make the Holy Spirit both the element and admin- 
istrator of the baptism of the Corinthians. This, 
you see, is absurd. (3) The work of the Holy 
Spirit in the regeneration of man is never called 
the baptism of the Spirit. (4) Besides, the bap- 
tism by the authority of the Holy Spirit, and 
being " made to drink into one spirit," are plainly 
distinguished one from the other, so that it must 
mean the baptism of the commission. 

Gal. 3 : 27 : " For as many of you as have been 
baptized into Christ have put on Christ." This 
simply amounts to positive proof. To dispute 
our proposition — that in baptism the penitent be- 
liever puts on Christ — would flatly contradict this 
passage. There is no logical escape from this con- 
clusion. Being "baptized into Christ," or "bap- 
tized into one body," is the same as being baptized 
into Christ's church, or kingdom. 

John 3:5: "Except a man be born of water 
and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the king- 
dom of God." Here the penitent's admission into 
the kingdom, or church of Christ, is made to de- 
pend upon his being born of water and the Spirit* 



78 THE PROCESS OF REGEIS^ERATIOIS-. 

The Ibirth of water is baptism? The only birth of 
water known to the religion of Jesus Christ is bap- 
tism. The M. E. Discipline, Westminster and 
Cumberland Presbyterian confessions of faith^ 
say this alludes to baptism. In connection with 
this we give Dr. Timothy Dwight, another Presby- 
terian author, on John 3:5: " To be born again is 
precisely the same thing as to be born of water 
and of the Spirit ; and to be born of water is to. 
be baptized ; and he who understands the nature 
and authority of this institution, and refuses to 
be baptized, will never enter the visible or invis- 
ible kingdom of God." 

George Whitfield: "Born of water and of the 
Spirit: Does not this verse urge the absolute 
necessity of baptism ? Yes, when it may be had." 
— Works, Vol. Jf., p. 355. 

John Wesley, the father and founder of Meth- 
odism, on " Born of Water," says : " By water, 
then, as a means, the water of baptism, we are re- 
generated, or born again : whence it is also called 
by the apostle ' the washing of regeneration.' — 
Doctrinal Tracts, puhlislied by order of the Meth- 
odist General Conference, pp. 2j^8, 21i9. 

III. Our third argument is based upon the fact 
that CTiristian baptism is for, or in order to, re- 
mission of past sins. 

This is but a plain, simple statement of an ar- 
gument in favor of the position that baptism 



THE PEOCESS OF EEGEISTEEATION". 79 

changes the state of the penitent, or, in other 
words, introduces him into Christ, or the church 
of the first born. Now, the thoughtful reader can 
see without an effort how it is that baptism is for 
the remission of past sins, when he calls to mind 
the fact that we have shown by a preponderance 
of testimony that remission of sins is always 
effected '4n Christ"; and that the purpose of 
Christian baptism is, us affirmed by the Scriptures, 
to bring us "into Christ." 

Baptism is an appropriating or conditional 
cause of salvation or remission of sins. By bap- 
tism we appropriate to ourselves the promise of 
forgiveness, for which faith and repentance have 
fully prepared us as antecedents of baptism. Is 
this not too plain to be misunderstood ? We think 
so. But to the law and the testimony. 

Acts 2 : 38 : " Then Peter said unto them, Re- 
pent, and be baptized every one of you in the 
name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and 
ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." 

This text brings us into the great field of contro- 
versy, over which the advocates of sectism have 
fought, unsuccessfully, for years, in opposition to 
the doctrine stated above by the inspired Peter — 
that baptism is for remission of sins. This pas- 
sage so directly asociates baptism with the " re- 
mission of sins " as to preclude all idea of success- 
ful opposition. It is not a question of argument, 
it is simply a question of fact or authority. If 



80 THE PEOCESS OF REGEI^EEATIO]^. 

the Acts of the Apostles is a faithful record, then 
'^ baptism for the remission of sins " is made out, 
and if baptism does not hold this prominent place 
in the Christian system, this record is false. 
From this conclusion there is no getting away. To 
affirm the proposition that baptism is ''for," or in 
order to, ''remission of sins," is to affirm that the 
inspired apostle Peter told the truth, and to deny 
that proposition is to deny the truth of his state- 
ment ! This statement by Peter is either true or 
false. Which way, Mr. Preacher, will you have it ? 
You are at liberty, of course, to take either side of 
this question you choose. The one side places 
you along by the side of Peter, the other side 
— the negation — places you with the great armjr 
of opposers in battle array against the inspiration 
of God's word. Does any man dispute that re- 
pentance is for remission of sins ? No. Yery well,, 
then, this passage makes " remission of sins '^ 
depend upon baptism precisely in the same sense 
that it does upon repentance. If, therefore, Peter 
commanded those Jews to "be baptzied" " on ac- 
count of remission," or " because of," as our op- 
ponents say, it follows that they were commanded 
to repent for the very same purpose ! 

Dr. Albert Barnes, a Presbyterian author of 
great note, says : " Repent and be baptized in the 
name of Jesus Christ {eis) unto, or in order to, or 
with reference to, the remission of sins. That is, 
the repentance and baptism both have reference 



THE PROCESS OF REGEISTERATION. 8Ii 

to the remission of sins. This is the complete pro- 
cess appointed by God in connection with remis- 
sion of sins." — Answer to J. B. Briney's letter^ 
August^ 1870. This is the utterance of an honest 
scholar. Presbyterians, what think you of the 
Doctor's interpretation of Acts 2:38? Yon ob- 
serve that the Doctor says, "repentance and 
baptism both have reference to the remission of 
sins." What, therefore, repentance in this con- 
nection is for, baptism is for the same thing. 

Dr. Hackett, a popular Baptist author, in his 
commentary on Acts, translates eis aphesin amar- 
tion^ " in order to the forgiveness of sins." 

Wesley says: "Baptism administered to real 
penitents is both a means and seal of pardon. Wor 
did God, ordinarily, in the primitive church, be- 
stow this (pardon) on any unless through this 
means." — Wesley'' s Motes. 

Certainly it is not claimed by us that baptism 
is essential to the remission of sins, unless the can- 
didate be a penitent believer, and this is just what 
Mr. Wesley says. John Wesley was either wrong^ 
in his teaching on the design of baptism or the 
Methodists are now wrong, for they differ as wide- 
ly from Wesley as they do from us. 

Next we call the reader's attention to Orchard's 
History, which is a very prominent Baptist work, 
and is indorsed by Rev. J. R. Graves as the only 
work of the kind worthy of the name. Dr 
Orchard says : " The extraordinary circumstances 



82 THE PEOCESS OF EEaENEEATION. 

on the day of Pentecost occasioned many Jews 
congregating where the apostles and disciples met, 
at which time Peter opened to the Jews the gos- 
pel system of salvation. Three thousand felt 
the force of the truth, and confessed themselves 
convinced of the dignity and authority of Christ 
as the Messiah : and as -a proof of their sincerity, 
and the submissive state of their minds to Ms 
commands, they arose, were baptized, and washed 
away their sins ; and the same day were added 
unto the church. This church of Jerusalem was 
composed of those only wlio ' gladly received 
the word and were baptized.'" — Vol. l,p.6. 

How does this harmonize with Baptist teach- 
ing now? Modern Baptists are not only out of 
harmony with Christ and the apostles on the 
purpose of Christian baptism, but they are in 
direct opposition to the above from Dr. Orchard. 
Christ and his inspired apostles teach that bap- 
tism is for remission of past sins. The Baptist 
Church teaches that baptism is not for the re- 
mission of sins, but because of remission of 
sins. This amounts to a flat contradiction of the 
teaching of the New Testament. 

The next witness we call upon the stand to 
testify as to the meaning of Acts 2 : 38 shall be 
Bishop Merrill, of the M. E. Church, who says : 
^'Two brethren, whose judgment we respect, have 
called our attention to Acts 2:38, and suggested 
that some exegetical remarks upon it would be 



THE PEOCESS OF EEOElSrERATIOlSr. 83 

acceptable to a great nnmber of onr readers. 
Desiring, as far as possible, to meet the demands 
laid upon us by our brethren, and believing 
nothing is lost by a dispassionate consideration Df 
any portion of Scriptures, however much it may 
have been abused, we cheerfully comply with the 
request, and give our own view of this passage. It 
reads thus : ' Then Peter said unto them. Repent 
and be baptized every one of you in the name of 
Jesus Clirist for the remission or sins, and ye 
shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.' The re- 
lation which baptism sustains to remission of sins 
is the point which calls for investigation. Upon 
this subject it is known that men widely differ, so 
that we can not express our own convictions with- 
out seeming to controvert the notions of others. But 
we must not refrain on this account. Those who 
difier from us are not so seriously troubled with 
modesty as to be unwilling to let it be known that 
they do not agree with us. ^ ^ ^ This lan- 
guage must mean something; and, regardless of 
what others think, it becomes us to understand it, 
and have a place for it both in our doctrine and 
practice. It was the language of Peter, addressed 
to those who heard the gospel on the day of Pen- 
tecost, and were pricked in their hearts, and said 
unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, ' Men and 
brethren, what shall we do V The answer was given 
under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and was 
perfectly adapted to the case, and we hesitate not 



84 THE PROCESS OF REGENERATION 

to say that it is precisely the answer that ought 
now to be given to all who are in the same spirit- 
ual condition and make the same inquiry. What, 
then, was their condition ? They were Jews. This 
fact will not be called in question. But we make 
no point on it, for the conditions of the gospel 
are precisely the same to Jews and Gentiles. They 
were penitents ; of this there can be no doubt. 
They were pricked in their hearts. They had dis- 
covered that Jesus of ISTazareth was indeed the 
Messiah ; that he had risen from the dead, and 
that they were guilty of sin before Grod. Under 
this astounding conviction they inquired, 'What 
shall we do ?' ^ ^ ^ ' Repent and be baptized 
in the name of Jesus Christ,^ pointed out the whole 
of the duty then pressing upon them. The design 
was that they might ' receive the gift of the Holy 
Spirit.' All they were exhorted to do looked to 
this end. Anything they might do would be 
valueless if this was not gained. But they were 
sinners, and they never could receive this 'gift 
of the Holy Spirit ' until their sins were blotted 
out. No one ever received the gift of the Spirit 
while unpardoned. This was an impossibility. 
Hence the first duty of these penitents was to 
seek pardon. They must come to Christ, trust in 
him, receive him ; for repentance and remission of 
sins was preached in his name. And all they did 
in coming to Christ was for remission. If they re- 
pented, that was ' for remission ;' if they confessed 



THE PKOCESS OF REGE]SrERATIO:N'. 85 

their sins, that was ^ for remission,' and if they 
were baptized, that too was 'for remission.' But 
this covenant act was mentioned, as it implied and 
included the whole matter of renouncing sin and 
embracing Christ for salvation. It was, under 
these circumstances, a help to Christ. It was an 
outward means of pardon, as it was an outward 
means of coming to Christ that they might be jus- 
tified by faith. Faith is the appropriating act, 
hence faith is imputed for righteousness. There- 
fore, whatever promotes faith and helps the sinner 
to Christ may be done by the penitent seeker ' for 
remission of sins.' We agree with Mr. Wesley on 
this point. He said that 'baptism administered 
to real penitents is both a means and seal of par- 
don.' It is more difficult to explain the sense in 
which it is a ' seal ' than that in which it is a 
* means,' but in the sense in which Mr. Wesley 
used these terms it is both. We therefore hold 
that when unbaptized persons become really pen- 
itent, and are willing to do all the gospel requires, 
they should ' be baptized for the remission of sins.' 
We see no reason for delaying baptism until their 
probation in the church expires ; nor is there any 
scriptural grounds for withholding the ordinance 
from them until they profess pardon. The evi- 
dence or test of pardon is the gift of the Holy 
Spirit. ISTone obtain this before pardon." 

So much for Bishop Merrill's ''exegetical re- 
marks." This is indeed a lengthy quotation from 



86 THE PEOCESS OF REGENEKATION'. 

the Bishop, but we desire our Methodist friends to 
know how an honest scholar in their ranks inter- 
prets Acts 2 : 38. The Bishop denies that there is 
"any scriptural grounds for withholding the or- 
dinance from" penitents " until they profess par- 
don." ISTor does he find any ^^ reason for delaying 
baptism until their probation in the church ex- 
pires." But he says, ''When unbaptized persons 
become really penitent, and are willing to do all 
the gospel requires, they should be baptized 'for 
the remission of sins."' It follows from Bishop 
Merrill's interpretation of this disputed text that 
penitents must "be baptized for remission of 
sins," in order '' to do all the gospel requires." 
Certainly the gospel requires the baptism of 
penitents in order to remission of sins. The 
passage in dispute teaches that repentance and 
baptism are both essential to forgiveness of sins. 
"Whatever else may be required for the remission 
of sins, this passage teaches that both repent- 
ance and baptism are essential to that end. For 
it is now agreed by the leading scholars of the 
world that eis is connected with the two preced- 
ing verbs, — ''repent" and " be baptized"— to de- 
note the purpose or object in the action of these 
verbs. Hence, "repent" and " be baptized" for 
the purpose of remission of sins, or in order to re- 
mission of sins. All of our opponents agree that 
repentance is essential to remission of past sins, 
but are slow to believe that baptism is for that 



THE PEOCESS OF REGEI^ERATIOlSr. 87 

purpose, but in tlie text now being considered they 
are both coupled for precisely the same purpose^ 
viz., remission of sins. Bis^ therefore, indicates 
the object of both the repentance and the baptism 
of the penitent Jews on the day of Pentecost. 

IV. Our fourth argument is based upon the 
commission as recorded in Mark 16:16: ''He 
that believeth and is baptized shall be saved : but 
he that believeth not shall be damned." — Jesus, 

Whatever else is essential to our salvation from 
sin, Jesus declares that the salvation of the sinner 
depends upon faith and baptism. Some brother 
among us gives the following rule for the condi- 
tions : '^ When salvation is promised to a person 
on certain named conditions, though it may de- 
pend on more conditions than those named, it can 
never depend on less." This rule is both reason- 
able and just, and no honest man will reject it. 
Now, the above passage names faith and baptism 
as conditions upon which Jesus offers salvation 
from sin. We have just seen that repentance and 
baptism, in Acts 2 : 38, are coupled together for the 
same purpose. This rule applies to both of these 
passages. While salvation, or forgiveness of 
sins, can depend on no less than faith in Christ 
and Christian baptism, it does in fact depend upon 
other conditions, for Acts 2 : 38 names repentance 
as a condition. When Jesus says, " He that be- 
lieveth and is baptized shall be saved," he means 
just what he says. Here salvation is used in the 



88 THE PEOCESS OF REGEIS-EEATIOI^. 

Sense of salvation from sin, remission of sins, or 
forgiveness of sins. So you see, the sinner's sal- 
vation from sins is made to depend on baptism in 
the same sense it depends on faith. They are 
therefore both necessary to salvation from past 
sins. This is a plain and pointed proof, and from 
the conclusion there is no escape. These are the 
words of Jesus Christ. It was his right to fix the 
terms of forgiveness and it is our duty to submit 
to them. 

Let us compare this statement of Jesus with 
the teaching of the Baptists on the design of 
baptism. 

First. Baptists tell us that baptism is not in 
order to remission of past sins, but that persons 
are saved from their sins before baptism, and 
therefore without baptism ; that baptism was not 
commanded to be obeyed by any except those who 
are previously saved. The Baptists therefore ren- 
der the language of Jesus thus : "He that be- 
lieveth and is saved shall be baptized." But 
Jesus has it this way: ''He that believe th and 
is baptized shall be saved." How do they com- 
pare? This is a fair test of Baptist teaching on 
the design of baptism. Our Baptist friends are 
badly off the track right here. This, however, 
is true of all the sects. They are all in the 
same boat on this subject. 

V. Our fifth argument is drawn from the fol- 
lowing statement from the Apostle Peter : " The 



THE PEOCESS OF EEGEISTERATIOX. 89 

like figure wlierennto even baptism doth also now 
save ns (not the putting away of the filth of the 
flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward 
God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." 1 Pet. 
3:21. 

We are not disposed to spend much time on this! 
passage, but will allow such men as Wesley and! 
Watson to settle the meaning of the text. 

Peter declares that " baptism saves us." Now, 
this is either true or false. If the New Testa- 
ment is the word of God, the statement is true. 
And how dare our religious neighbors to deny this 
statement and at the same time claim the word of 
God as their only means of salvation ? This is a 
mystery. Wesley says on this passage : " That 
is, through the water of baptism we are saved 
from the sin which overwhelms the world as a 
flood." — Wesley^ s JS^otes. 

Dr. Clark says on this passage : " He who is 
faithful to his baptismal covenant, taking God 
through Christ, by the eternal Spirit, for his 
portion, is saved here from his sins," etc. 

Commenting on 1 Pet. 3 : 21, Watson says : "It 
is thus that we see how St. Peter preserves the 
correspondence between the act of Noah in pre- 
paring the ark as an act of faith by which lie 
was justified, and the act of submitting to 
Christian baptism, wliich is obviously an act of 
faith, in order to remission of sins or the obtain- 
ing a good conscience before God.'' — InsfifNtes, 



90 THE PROCESS OF REGE:N'ERATIO]Sr. 

Vol. 3, pp. 624^^ 625, TVatson is good Methodist au- 
thority. Will Methodists accept him? Reader, 
you see that the ablest men ever known to belong 
to the Methodist Church make just as much of 
baptism as we do. " Baptism doth now save us if 
we live answerable thereto,*' etc. — Wesley. 

VI. Baptism tlie icasliing of regeneration. 
Tit. 3:5: " K'ot by works of righteousness which 
we have done, but according to his mercy he saved 
us, by the washing of regeneration, and renew- 
ing of the Holy Ghost." 

Since we have already clearly defined bap- 
tismal regeneration, and also have clearly shown 
who are the guilty parties ; that is, those in the re- 
ligious world absolutely guilty of teaching bap- 
tismal regeneration, we proceed at once to the in- 
vestigation of this text. Baptism is certainly 
meant by the washing, or bath, of this text. 
This is the concurrent testimony of the scholars 
of the whole religious world. The washing of re- 
generation and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, 
and also regeneration itself, are clearly and for- 
cibly distinguished the one from the other. 
Neither the washing of this passage nor the re- 
newing of the Holy Spirit is regeneration. The 
passage teaches plainly that God saves us 
through this washing, which belongs to regenera- 
tion, the genitive case, expressed by the English 
o/, denoting possession. So, it must be borne in 
mind that regeneration is one thing, and the wash- 



THE PROCESS OF REGEKERATIO]^. 91 

ing is another, and the renewing of the H0I7 
Spirit still another. But it is declared that re- 
generation has a washing attached to it, and a 
renewing of the Holy Spirit, by which sinners 
are said to be saved. ISTow, regenerated means the 
same thing as the new birth, or " born of water 
and of the Spirit." Jno. 3 : 5. Let us compare 
these two statements. The " washing " in Titus 
3 : 5, corresponds to the " water " of John 3 : 5, and 
the ''renewing of the Holy Spirit," corresponds to 
"Spirit " in the last named text. 

Then regeneration has a washing^ and what 
shall we call it ? Call it what you will, it is es- 
sential to the process of regeneration and in order 
to the salvation of man. It is the baptism of the 
commission. This is the only washing of New 
Testament Christianity. 

John "Wesley says it is "the laver of regener- 
ation." Clark says : " Undoubtedly the apostle 
here means baptism." Dr. Wall says : "The 
washing of regeneration (Tit. 3:5) is the washing 
of baptism." The scholarship of the world says 
it means baptism. Well, suppose we grant it, 
then what? Nothing, only baptism is essential 
to salvation from sin; that's all. Baptism is the 
consummating act of faith in the process of regener- 
ation. The last act ; the act by which we are in- 
ducted into Christ. " For as many of you as have 
been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." 
Gal. 3 : 27. 



92 THE PKOCESS OF EEGENERATION. 

" And now why tarriest thou ? Arise, and be 
l^aptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the 
name of the Lord." Acts 22 : 16. Wesley, in 
commenting on this passage, says : " Baptism ad- 
ministered to real penitents is both a means and 
seal of pardon. Nor did God ordinarily in the 
primitive Church bestow this on any unless 
through this means." 

John Calvin says : " Therefore, those who have 
Imagined that baptism is nothing more than a 
mark or sign by which we profess our religion be- 
fore men, as soldiers wear the insignia of their 
sovereign as a mark of their profession, have not 
considered that which was the principal thing in 
baptism ; which is, that we ought to receive it 
with this promise, ' He that believeth and is bap- 
tized shall be saved.' The man who believes in 
Christ, and repents of his sins and is baptized, is 
regenerated, or born again, of water and the Spirit. 
He is saved within the meaning of the promise of 
this passage. May Grod in his goodness bless all 
who thus bow to the authority of the Christ. 
Amen. 



1 



THEEE BAPTISMS. 

" I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance : hut he 
that Cometh after me is mightier than /, whose shoes I o.m not 
worthy to hear ; he shall haptize you with the Holy Ghost and 
with fire.''— Matt. 3:11, 

Perhaps this will "be considered a strange text 
and a very strange discourse to be found published 
in a book of sermons, but nevertheless the subject 
is one of vital interest and deserves our most se- 
rious consideration. The discussion of this pe- 
culiar text is a necessity growing out of the use 
our religious neighbors make of the passage. 
This passage is employed to support a number of 
modern fallacies. The reckless manner in which 
it is interpreted obscures the work of the Holy 
Spirit in the salvation of man, and hides from view 
the place Christian baptism occupies in the law of 
pardon. 

Some have taken advantage of the seeming ob- 
scurity of this passage to bolster false theories of 
the Spirit's work and of baptism. For these 
reasons alone the discussion becomes one of great 
interest to all thoughtful readers. This passage 
is employed to support the unscriptural dogma 
of the immediate, direct and supernatural opera- 
tion of the Holy Spirit on the hearts of men 
and women in conversion and regeneration. Men 

93 



94 THREE BAPTISMS. 

claim to have "been "baptized in the Holy Ghost 
and fire, and cite this passage in proof. But to 
the unprejudiced mind this passage teaches 
nothing of the kind ; nor does any other passage 
in the word of God teach that persons are baptized 
in the Holy Spirit and in fire. This is the only 
verse in the whole Bible that contains three bap- 
tisms. Now, in order that we may reach correct 
conclusions, in the investigation of these baptisms, 
we propose to examine each one of the three bap- 
tisms separately, and also to examine each in its 
parts. This we believe is the proper method for 
this discussion, and the only method by which to 
determine the real meaning of the passage. The 
following are the three baptisms of the text : 

1. Baptism of John. 

2. Baptism of the Holy Spirit. 

3. Baptism of fire. 

These are evidently three separate and distinct 
baptisms. The language of the text demands 
this, and especially when we examine it in the 
light of the context. Let us now examine the es- 
sential elements of these baptisms, taking them in 
the same order they are found in the text. 

7. Baptism of John. This was a baptism in wor 
ter. This was a baptism of command, and could 
be obeyed or disobeyed; and those who rejected 
it are charged with "rejecting the counsel of God 
against themselves.-' This baptism in its parts 
stands thus : (1) John the Baptist was the ad- 



THREE BAPTISMS. 95 

ministrator ; (2) Water was the element in which 
it was performed; (3) Believing Jews were the 
subjects ; (4) To prepare the Jews to receive 
Christ was the object, or design, of this baptism. 

II. Baptism of the Holy Spirit, This was a 
baptism in spirit. This was a baptism of prom- 
ise, and could be received^ but it could not be 
obeyed, because promises can not be obeyed. In 
this particular this baptism differs from the Bap- 
tism of John. This baptism in its parts stands 
thus : (1) Jesus Christ was the administrator ; 
(2) The Holy Spirit was the element in which this 
baptism was performed; (3) The apostles were the 
subjects of this baptism ; (4) To qualify the 
apostles to publish the unsearchable riches of 
Jesus Christ to all the world for the obedience of 
faith, was the object of this baptism. 

///. Baptism of fire. This is a baptism in 
fire. This baptism, unlike either of the others, is 
neither a promise nor a command, but a threat. 
And when we examine this baptism in its parts, 
as we have the other two, we find, (1) Christ is 
tlie administrator; (2) Fire is the element in 
which this baptism is to be performed ; (3) Tlie 
wicked Jews who rejected Christ — the " chaff" 
— the unfruitful "tree" — are the subjects of the 
baptism of fire. (4) The punishment of the un- 
godly, the design, or object. 

John the Immerser is the administrator of the 
first baptism in this text, and Christ is the admin- 



96 THREE BAPTISMS. 

istrator of the other two. The first of these three 
Ibaptisms — ^John's baptism — belongs the other side 
of the cross. The second — the baptism of the H0I7 
Spirit — ^belongs to the first Pentecost after the 
ascension of Christ. The third and last baptism 
of these three — baptism of fire — belongs to the 
" appointed day, in which he will judge the world 
in righteousness by that man (Christ the Admin- 
istrator) whom he hath ordained." The first is a 
command, the second is a promise, the third is a 
threat. The subjects of the first were those who 
received Christ ; the subjects of the second were 
those who published Christ and his claims on hu- 
manity to the world ; the subjects of the third, 
were those who rejected Christ because they hated 
him without a cause. 

The baptism of John ceased with the death of 
Christ, because the object for which it had been 
established had then been accomplished. The 
baptism of the Holy Spirit, spoken of in the text, 
belonged exclusively to the apostolic age of the 
church, or in other words, to the age of miracles, 
and ceased for the very same reason — namely, be- 
cause the purpose of it had been accomplished. It 
is believed by some that every one's salvation de- 
pends upon his being baptized in the Holy Spirit. 
This is a miserable religious blunder. In the first 
place, the work of the Holy Spirit in the salvation 
of sinners is not once in all the Bible called the 
baptism of the Spirit. Let the reader remember 



THREE BAPTISMS. 97 

this. Secondly, the baptism of the Holy Spirit 
was only promised to the apostles; and thirdly, 
Jesus emphatically said the world could not re- 
ceive the Holy Spirit in this form. (See John 14 : 
I65 17.) The only cases of Holy Spirit baptism on 
record are found in Acts. On the day of Pente- 
cost is the first, and at the house of Cornelius the 
second case. There are no others. And in both 
of these cases we find the same effects, that is, 
both of these baptisms were attended by miracles. 
The baptism of the Holy Spirit, in the very nature 
of things, is connected with miraculous demon- 
strations, and no man can divorce them. The ig- 
norance of the modern clergy is never so fully 
manifested as it is in their praying to God for a 
^' baptism in the Holy Ghost and fire." l^Tow, the 
import of such a petition is simply this : '^ O God, 
immerse us in the Holy Ghost, and then burn us 
up with unquenchable fire !" 

Beginning at the verse preceding our text, 
John says : " And now also the axe is laid unto 
the root of the trees : therefore every tree which 
bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and 
cast into the fire." From this verse we learn that 
John was addressing a mixed multitude of peo- 
ple, and that he compares them to an orchard 
of trees ; some were fruit-bearing trees and others 
unfruitful trees. Now, this is a grand and in- 
structive metaphor, which determines the charac- 
ter of John's hearers, and also that judgment — 



98 THREE BAPTISMS. 

the axe — should rest upon individuals regardless 
of their nationality, that the unfruitful trees 
should be cut down by the axe of judgment and 
cast into the fire. Now, omitting the text,- the 
next verse fully explains the whole matter. 
'''Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thor- 
oughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into 
the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with 
unquenchable fire." 

From this passage we learn the same lesson, 
namely, that John's audience was a mixed multi- 
tude. By reference to the ancient method of 
separating chaff from the wheat, John clearly 
enforces the thought of this lesson upon our minds. 
^' But he will burn up the chaff with unquench- 
able fire." The wheat represents the good, the 
chaff represents the bad, the same persons who are 
-spoken of as subjects of the baptism in fire. Prof. 
J. W. McGarvey says in his commentary on 
Matthew : " It is clearly the wicked who are to 
T3e baptized in fire, and the fulfillment of the pre- 
diction will be realized when they are cast into 
the lake of fire." (Rev. 23 : 15.) 

The connection between the baptism in the 
Holy Spirit and the baptism in fire has been 
supposed by some to teach that the fire in the 
passage represents the purifying influence of the 
Holy Spirit, and that the whole thing was fulfilled 
on the day of Pentecost. But this is not in har- 
mony with either the language of the text itself or 



THREE BAPTISMS. 99 

the context. Besides, there was no fire on the oc- 
casion of the apostles' baptism in the H0I7 Spirit 
on the day of Pentecost, "but " cloven tongues like 
as of fire." 

A thorough examination of the context will con- 
vince any fair minded reader that fire is here em- 
ployed as a symbol of punishment, as it is in 
many other passages. The language of the text 
very plainly describes the character of John's 
hearers Trees stand for persons ; the fruitful tree 
represents the good, the unfruitful the bad. The 
wheat and chaff are employed for the enforce- 
ment of the same thought. Those represented by 
the "chaff," to be "burned up with unquench- 
able fire," or, immersed in fire, were the enemies 
of Jesus Christ, a "generation of vipers." 

A word on the subjects of Holy Spirit baptism. 
Who were the subjects of the baptism in the Holy 
Spirit ? This is indeed a very important question 
to settle now. A right understanding of the plan 
of salvation as preached by the apostles to both 
Jews and Gentiles largely depends upon the set- 
tlement of this question. We can not conceive 
how a man can understand the plan of salvation 
who does not know the object of the baptism of 
the Holy Spirit. And it is certain that a correct 
knowledge of the object depends largely upon our 
knowledge of the subjects. 

Now, in our effort to determine who are the sub- 
jects of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we cite a 



100 THREE BAPTISMS. 

passage from Prof. McG-arvey's commentary on 
Acts, wMcli, perhaps, is the most comprehensive 
statement of Scripture teaching on the subject to 
be found in books. He says : 

" It is important to determine who are the 
parties declared by Luke to be ' all with one 
accord in one place ;' for upon this depends the 
question whether the whole hundred and twenty 
disciples, or only the twelve apostles, were filled 
with the Holy Spirit. The words are almost 
uniformly referred, by commentators, to the hun- 
dred and twenty. Any one who will read the 
first four verses of this chapter (Acts. 2nd ch.), 
noticing the connection of the pronoun ' they,' 
which occurs in each of them, will see, at a glance^ 
that it has, throughout, the same antecedent, and 
therefore, all the parties said in the first verse to 
be together in one place, are said in the fourth to 
be filled with the Holy Spirit, and to speak in 
other tongues. The question, then. Who were 
filled with the Holy Spirit ? depends upon the refer- 
ence of the pronoun ' they ' in the statement, 
' They were all together in one place.' Those who 
suppose that the whole hundred and twenty are 
referred to, have to go back to the fifteenth verse 
of the preceding chapter to find the antecedent. 
But, if we obliterate the unfortunate separation 
between the first and second chapters, and take 
the last verse of the former into its connection 
with the latter, we will find the true and obvious 



THREE BAPTISMS. 101 

antecedent much nearer at hand. It would read 
thus : ' The lot fell upon Matthias, and he was 
numbered together with the eleven apostles. And 
when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they 
were all with one accord in one place. It is in- 
disputable that the antecedent to they is the term 
apostles ; and it is merely the division of the text 
into chapters, severing the close grammatical 
connection of the words, which has hid this most 
obvious fact from commentators and readers. 
The apostles alone therefore, are said to have 
been filled with the Holy Spirit. This conclu- 
sion is not only evident from the context, but it 
is required by the very terms of the promise 
concerning the Holy Spirit." 

The grammatical construction forbids not only 
the foolish use the sects make of this passage, 
making the whole world subjects of Holy Spirit 
baptism, but it also excludes all of the hundred and 
twenty on the day of Pentecost, save the twelve 
apostles. That the text contains three separate 
and distinct baptisms, is settled, we think, to 
the entire satisfaction of our readers. Now, Paul 
tells us that there is but one baptism that re- 
mains. This is the baptism of the commission, 
the one baptism of Paul, by which Peter says, 
we are saved. N'ow, in conclusion let us analyze 
the baptism of the commission as we have the 
three baptisms of our text. It was instituted by 



102 THEEE BAPTISMO. 

Jesns Christ and was given to the world by the 
inspired apostles. 

1. The preacher of the gospel of Christ is the 
administrator. 

2. "Water is the element. 

3. Penitent believers, and not babies, are the 
subjects. 

4. The remission of past sins is the design* 
(See Acts 2 : 38 : Mark 16 : 16.) 



BAPTISTS Ol^ THE DESIGI^ OF 
BAPTISM 

The writer hae been asked a great many times^ 
"WTiat is the difference between Baptists and 
Disciples on the design of baptism ?" Whila 
there is an important difference, it does not ap- 
pear to be understood by the people at large. 
And this fact alone is a sufficient apology for this 
discussion. There is a difference that is real, not 
imaginary, and the purpose of this discussion is 
not to magnify that difference, but to fairly and 
honestly state the difference, and to determine 
by the word of God, which, if either, is right iit 
their teaching on the design of baptism. The 
design of Christian baptism is an important sub- 
ject, and should be candidly and logically dis- 
cussed in the light of the Holy Scriptures in order 
that we may have right conceptions of the gospel 
system of salvation. 

By the design of baptism we mean the object^, 
end, or purpose, for which persons are called upon 
to be baptized. What are we required to be bap- 
tized for? What is its design ? Why should per- 
sons be baptized ? These are the questions that 
now concern us. We shall endeavor to fairly 
state Baptist teaching on this subject. It would 
not be possible for us to correctly state the views 

103 



iOi BAPTISTS OJSr THE DESIGIST OF BAPTISM. 

Baptists hold on the design of immersion, but for 
the fact that these views have been stated by Bap- 
tists themselves. It is very commom, in the field 
of controversy, for an opponent to try to break 
down a cause or position by overstatement, to 
make it look ridiculous, and thus to prejudice the 
minds of the people against it. But since the 
Baptists have stated their own views of the de- 
sign of baptism, there need be no mistake in 
this matter. 

We have met a few able representative men 
in Baptist ranks in public discussion, and know 
therefore, just what they teach on this subject. 
Truly, Baptists do not differ from the common 
sects of this country on the design of baptism. 
The only advantage they have over the sects in 
general, on the whole question of baptismal con- 
troversy, is in the action of baptism. While 
Baptists are strongly apostolic on the action of 
baptism, earnestly contending for the one im- 
mersion of the apostolic age of the church, their 
teaching on the design of baptism is unquestion- 
ably erroneous. It is a question whether Bap- 
tists are any nearer right on the subject of bap- 
tism in general than Methodists or Presbyte- 
rians. Immersion, to be sure, is essential to 
Bible baptism, but Bible baptism means much 
more than immersion. Those who accept im- 
mersion as apostolic baptism, so far as the ac- 
tion is concerned, and then reject the New Testa- 



BAPTISTS ON THE DESIGN" OF BAPTISM. 105 

ment design of baptism, are "but little ahead of 
sprinklers, after all. You may approach a Bap- 
tist minister on the subject of the design of 
baptism, and ask him plainly what he baptizes 
people for, what the purpose of baptism is, and 
you will find him disposed to evade the question 
by telling you what baptism is not for. They can ■ 
all tell you what baptism is not for, and none of 
them can answer the question, What is the design 
of baptism ? It is argued by some that the real 
difference between us and the Baptists, on this 
subject, is simply a chronological one. This is a 
grand mistake. 

There is another matter of difference between 
Disciples and Baptists that might be called simply 
a chronological difference ; that is the setting up 
of the kingdom, or Church of Christ, during the 
life time of John the Baptist. There is also a 
slight chronological difference between us and the 
Methodist Church that is measured by all the time 
that elapsed between the covenant God made with 
Abraham and the day of Pentecost. To say the 
difference between us and Baptists on the design 
of baptism is simply a chronological one, is a 
glaring misrepresentation of the known facts. Let 
us be honest. We know better than that. It 
makes no kind of difference when Baptists bap- 
tize, they utterly refuse to baptize ''for the remis- 
sion of sins." The utter rejection of the design of 
baptism is a vast deal more than a mere question 



106 PA?r:^r^ : rzz izsi.>v J iaptism. 

of cL: ^ .^7 1 ': : the la~ : '.^' 

maTid-s liiai the desu . : : iusiir::: ^uen 
plainly stated hy t^-^^l j viv.-: l^'X»^- 
nized as well as its mode. .^ _ ^ __: : i^d 
that lie had folly accepted Christ as the diTine 
S ' jfod, hnt lefiise to accept the design of his 

- *o earth — to seek and to save that 

: _ ~ s lost — ^with jnst as mnch propriety. 
J " _ : 7 , ::y is largely the oatg^wth of a 
litde chronological difference. 

We will now notice briefly some of the mis- 
takes of Baptist teaching on the design of bap- 
tism. 

L BaptisTs :hat baptism has any con- 

nection wha tev T :' rgireness or remission of 

siiis. This is i^rr :t /"i!^ of all the Baptists. 
y ~. ^e ask. does i. : :_is denial involve the 
1 Tial of tl inest and most emphatic decla- 

L i US of Jesas Christ and his apostles on this 
SM ^=^t? Yes; tl'H-z is moie certain. ]5S'ow 
^r shall proceed :: : -•^ the fallacy of this 
; -■ :: by the wor:. , itself. "He that 

. veth and is baj: : . shall be saved,'' etc 
^Maxk 16:16.) Here h^:-: is a condition of 
salvation from sin, ani i- 1-refore connected 
with the sinners remissi i. : s Baptist the- 
olc^y disputes this passa^r s text, Prot 

J W.McGarvey says: "I:: - *He 

that believeth and is baptiz- __ .' the 

salvation promised mnstinL-..T : t e for- 



BAPTISTS 01^ THE DESIGIN" OF BAPTISM. 107 

giveness of sins, whatever it may Ibe supposed 
to include in addition to this. It really includes 
no more than this, and is equivalent to the prom- 
ise of pardon to all who believe and are bap- 
tized." 

The reader can see without an effort that Jesus 
places baptism in such a connection with remis- 
sion of sins, or salvation from sins, that remission 
is made to depend upon baptism precisely in the 
same sense that it is to depend upon faith. This 
connection is made by Jesus, and cannot be bro- 
ken without destroying the connection between 
faith and salvation. Will our Baptist friends ex- 
amine this argument ? But what is the Baptist 
use of this passage ? How do they dispose of it ? 
Simply by denying it. We will give the reader 
an illustration of Baptist teaching and practice as 
respects this passage, by giving the passage in 
close connection with Baptist teaching on the sub- 
ject, thus : 

1. " He that believeth and is baptised shall be 
savedy — Jesus. 

2. ^' He that believeth and is saved shall be 
b aptized, ' ' — Baptis ts . 

This is a correct representation of Baptist 
teaching, for they earnestly contend that persoits 
must be saved before they can be subjects of bap- 
tism. Here they are proven guilty of transposing 
the commission given by Mark ; that is, clianging 
the order of the terms of remission of sins, by 



108 BAPTISTS OlS" THE DESIOI^ OF BAPTISM. 

putting baptism in the place occnpied by 
" saved," and bringing back the word " saved " to 
take the place of '•baptized." Thus, they trans- 
pose the authority of Jesus Christ out of the IN'ew 
Testament, as to the place Christian baptism oc- 
cupies in the plan of salvacion. This is indeed a 
grave charge, but is nevertheless true. 

II. Baptists deny that baptism belongs to the 
law of pardon. They claim that it is an item of 
worship in the church, to be observed by those 
who are recognized in the Scriptures as saved and 
justified — Christians. They place baptism with 
prayer, praise and the Lord's supper. Here our 
Baptist friends are badly off the track. Bap- 
tists teach that sinners are pardoned before they 
are baptized, and hence that baptism has noth- 
ing to do with remission of sins. But Christ 
and his apostles teach that sinners are not par- 
doned until after baptism. That is the differ- 
ence. On this proposition we challenge contro- 
versy. Baptist teaching on the design of bap- 
tism is contradictory. 

]^ow, we ask, if baptism, as Baptists teach, is 
an item of church worship, and as an institu-. 
tion, belongs on the inside of the church of 
God, why do they not baptize persons repeat- 
edly? Can any man lay his hand on a single 
item or practice in the church, that is not com- 
manded to be done repeatedly? JSTot one. This 
makes it evident that baptism is not an item of 



BAPTISTS OK THE DESiaiSr OF BAPTISM. 109 

worship in the church. Besides, if baptism is an 
item of church worship, as Baptists teach, then it 
follows that aliens, unpardoned persons, compose 
the church of God, for baptism is commanded for 
remission of sins. Baptism belongs to the law of 
induction into the church of Christ, and as per- 
sons enter into the church but oncej they are bap- 
tized but once. Baptists, you see, make Peter 
command the saints on Pentecost to repent and be 
baptized for the remission of sins. (Acts 2 : 38.) 
These saints are not only without salvation, but 
they are also without the Holy Spirit as welL 
Baptists, according to their theory of baptism, 
baptize Christians, but Christ and the apostles 
teach us to baptize penitent believers, in order 
that they may be inducted into Christ, and thus 
become Christians. N'o man can read the com- 
mission by Matthew carefully without seeing the 
fallacy of Baptist teaching. '' Go ye therefore, 
and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name 
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
Spirit." This is said with reference to the alien, 
and when he believes and is baptized, then the 
other part of the commission applies to him, 
" Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever 
I have commanded you," etc. (Matt. 28 : 19, 20.) 
But baptism is found in that part of the com- 
mission which relates to the unsaved. 

HI. Baptists will not accept any into their 
fellowship without baptism. Again we say, Bap- 



110 BAPTISTS OX THE DESIG:S' OF BAPTISM. 

tist teaching is contradictory. 1. They tell us 
that sinners are saved before they are baptized, 
and therefore saved without baptism. 2. But 
they will not fellowship them until Ojfter they are 
baptized. They are not allowed to commune with 
any such. How is this to be explained ? On the 
ground that Baptists are harder to please than 
Christ? If Christ accepts a man as saved and 
justified before he is bajptized, why may not the 
Baptists ? Must a man do more to become a Bap- 
tist than a Christian ? 

This is an acknowledgment that a man may be- 
come a Christian without becoming a Baptist. 
Christianity, therefore, is one thing andBaptistism 
is another. The Baptist Church, according to this 
acknowledgment, is not essential to any one's sal- 
vation. If the sinner is pardoned and justified by 
faith, and without baptism, and therefore accepted 
of God, why do Baptists make so much of bap- 
tism ? If baptism, as they teach, is not essential 
to the sinner's forgiveness, why do Baptists spend 
so much of their time in criticising the denomina- 
tions that sprinkle ? The manner in which Meth- 
odists and Presbyterians treat the subject of bap- 
tism is less objectionable to-day than the Baptist 
idea. 

With Methodists and Presbyterians a drop of 
water is as good as an ocean ; but with the Bap- 
tists much water is essential to baptism, and when 
they are done with it, baptism is essential to noth- 



BAPTISTS OK THE DESIGIST OF BAPTISM. Ill 

ing ! According to the Baptist theory of baptism 
the only thing baptism can do for a man is to 
make a Baptist of him. Baptism cuts no figure in 
the salvation of the sinner except what it does in 
and through the Baptist Church. That is, no man 
can Ibe a Baptist without baptism, and none can 
be saved outside the Baptist Church; baptism, 
therefore, is only essential through the Baptist 
Church. Of course, many of our Baptist friends 
do not believe this foolish idea, but all Rayites 
do, and some others. 

IV. Baptists deny that baptism is for remis- 
sion of sins. It is now a question with a great 
many honest persons as to how much is involved 
in this Baptistic negation. This is evidently a 
serious matter. We boldly affirm that this nega- 
tion flatly contradicts the teaching of Christ and 
his apostles on the design of baptism. This is a 
very grave affirmation, but the question is, can it 
be sustained ? We will prove this affirmation by 
the word of God, or acknowledge our weakness. 

If the Scriptures prove any thing, they prove 
that the Baptists are not only mistaken on the de- 
sign of baptism, but that their teaching flatly con- 
tradicts the gospel of Jesus Christ. We will now 
proceed to bring forward the proof, so that the 
reader may see for himself the fallacy of Baptist 
teaching, on this all-important subject. First, we 
invite the reader's attention directly to the lan- 
guage of Christ, in Mark 16 : 16 : " He that be- 



112 BAPTISTS OX THE DESIGN OF BAPTISM. 

lieveth. and is baptized shall be saved ; but lie 
that believeth not shall be damned." This is a 
plain statement as to the place baptism occupies 
in the law of pardon, and it is equally as plain as to 
what baptism has to do in the sinner's salvation 
from his past sins. Now, one of two things must 
be true, either Christ did not mean what he here 
declares, or the Baptists are wrong in their teach- 
ing. Which is it ? There is no escape from this 
conclusion. Let the Baptists examine this pas- 
sage carefully. 

Next, we call attention to Peter's sermon 
on the occasion of the opening of the gospel 
system of salvation to the Jews, on the 
day of Pentecost, in Acts 2 : 38. When the 
preaching of the apostles pierced them '4n 
their heart," the Jews exclaimed, "Men and 
brethren, what shall we do ?" " Then Peter said 
unto them. Repent, and be bapti2fed every one of 
you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission 
of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy 
Spirit." Here, now, we have the design of bap- 
tism plainly stated by an inspired apostle, who 
says he preached the gospel with the Holy Spirit 
sent down from heaven. Will this not settle the 
question? With this passage before us, we are 
bold to affirm that Christ and Peter both flatly 
contradict the Baptist idea of the design of 
baptism. Peter declares that baptism is ''for the 
remission of sins," but the Baptists declare it is 



BAPTISTS OJSr THE DESIG]^ OF BAPTISM. 113 

not for the remission of sins. Which shall we 
accept? The reader has his choice. 

Paul, in narrating his conversion, says that 
God's chosen preacher commanded, " And now 
why tarriest thou ? Arise, and be "baptized, and 
wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the 
Lord." Acts 22:16. Peter also says, ''Baptism 
doth also now save us." 

Now, reader, what are we to do with these plain 
and pointed statements? They are either true or 
false. If these Scriptures are to settle the mat- 
ter as to the design of baptism, then we are 
bound before God and man to reject the Bap- 
tist idea. Certainly, we are driven to the 
Scriptures which speak of baptism, in order to 
ascertain just what its design is. We have 
cited a few of them and have found that the de- 
sign of baptism is, '' for the remission of sins." 

This, however, is not the only blunder in Bap- 
tist teaching, but it is certainly a very grave 
mistake ; nor is the Baptist Church the only 
church guilty of this miserable blunder on the 
design of baptism. In conclusion, the reader's 
attention is called to a brief summary of the 
points of difference between Baptists and Chris- 
tians : 

1. Baptists teach that the Holy Spirit operates 
on the hearts of sinners in their conversion, di- 
rectly and independently of the word of God. 
8 



114 BAPTISTS O:^ THE DESiaiS* OF BAPTISM. 

Cliristiaus teach that the Holy Spirit puts forth 
his power to save sinners through the word of 
God. They deny the Baptist idea of abstract 
operation. 

2. Baptists teach that repentance comes before 
laith ; that sinner's can not believe before repent- 
ance. Christians teach that faith in the Lord 
Jesus Christ is the first step towards remission of 
sins. (Heb. 11 : 6 ; Mark 16 : 16.) 

3. Baptists teach that immersion is an item of 
worship in the church, to be observed only by 
Christians. Christians teach that immersion be- 
longs to the law of induction into Christ (Gal. 3 : 
27-29), and is, therefore, a condition of pardon. 
(Jno. 3:5; Acts 2 : 38; Mark 16 : 16). And for 
this reason, they claim that immersion is not to be 
repeated, claiming that if immersion is an item of 
worship in the church, like prayer and the Lord's 
supper, we would have to immerse repeatedly, as 
all items of church worship are commanded to be 
done repeatedly. 

4. Baptists say that immersion is not " for re- 
mission of sins," but " because of remission of 
sins." Christians, or Disciples, say immersion is 
"for the remission of sins." (Acts 2 : 38.) Chris- 
tians claim that Baptist teaching on this subject 
contradicts the teaching of Christ and the apos- 
tles. 

5. Christians read, " He that believe th and is 
baptized shall be saved." (Mark 16 : 16.) Bap- 



BAPTISTS OK THE DESIGl^ OF BAPTISM. 115 

tists read, " He that "believeth and is saved shall 
"be baptized." Don't fail to read the Scriptures 
cited above. 

6. Christians will not accept persons into fel- 
lowship with them without immersion, because 
immersion is essential to admission into the body 
or church of Christ. Baptists will not fellowship 
persons without immersion, yet they claim Christ 
accepts persons without immersion. It is at this 
point that Disciples hold that according to Bap- 
tist teaching. Baptists are harder to please than 
Christ. This is an inconsistency in Baptist 
theology that no man on earth can reconcile. If 
Baptists believe that persons are pardoned and 
justified before baptism, how dare they reject un- 
baptized persons ? These are some of the points 
of difference between Baptists and Disciples. The 
reader can see just what must be done before a 
union can be effected between these two large 
bodies of people. 

7. Another point of difference is, the Baptists 
support a human creed. Disciples stand on the 
word of God alone. 

8. ^'Baptist Church" is a sectarian name, 
unauthorized by the word of God. Christians, or 
Disciples, reject all human creeds and names. 

We have aimed to fairly and honestly discuss 
the differences between the Baptists and our own 
people, and if we are criticised we are prepared 
to prove each and every position taken in this 



116 BAPTISTS 01^ THE DESIGN OF BAPTISM. 



discussion from standard works by Baptist au- 
thors. 



THE ETERNITY OF PTJITISHMENT. 

^^ And these shall go away into eternal punishment; hut the 
righteous into eternal life,^'' — Matt. 25 : 46, 

We have chosen this language of Jesus as a 
text for a discourse on the subject of the final des- 
tiny of the wicked. It is the purpose of this dis- 
course to discuss the duration of the punishment 
of the wicked after death. In the settlement of 
this question we shall strictly adhere to the Scrip- 
tures of divine truth. Do the Scriptures teach that 
the wicked shall suffer eternal punishment ? It is 
not a question of future punishment, for even 
Universalists themselves agree that the Scriptures 
teach future punishment, but they deny the eter- 
nity of that punishment. Hence, it is purely a 
question of the eternity of future punishment. 

However, before we enter upon the discussion of 
the eternity of punishment, we desire to call the 
attention of the reader to the history of Universal- 
ism in this country. Our object in this is to give 
the reader a better understanding of the opposi- 
tion with which we must contend in this investiga- 
tion. 

Univercalism is of modern invention ; as a sys- 
tem of religion it dates no earlier than 1770, when 
Murry came to this country. Universalism, vir- 
tually, is the invention of Mr. Murry. Notwith- 

117 



118 THE ETERI^ITY OF PUI^ISHMENT. 

standing Ballon, in Ms '• Ancient History of Uni- 
versalism," speaks of Origen, Clement of Alexan- 
dria, and others of early times, as "being Univer- 
salists ; but the statement is false ; these men did 
not believe in universal salvation. John Murry is 
styled the '' father of Universalism," and it is evi- 
dent that the child is not older than its father. 
And if we were to undertake to trace modern Uni- 
versalism to its origin, it will be found to be a 
thing of very recent date, indeed. Universalism 
has recently changed base. The doctrines of John 
Murry and H. Ballon are not believed by modern 
Universalists ; they have not a single advocate in 
all this country. And we are not ignorant as to 
the cause of this wonderful change. Dr. Fish- 
back, once a very prominent preacher among the 
Universalists, says, "Alexander Hall killed /o^^/ 
Universalism thirty years ago.'' Hall's work en- 
titled " Universalism Against Itself" was what 
created the necessity for a radical change. 

Universalism, as revamped by Balfour, denied, 
(1) the existence of hell ; (2) the existence of the 
devil ; (3) the immortality of the soul ; (4) the 
resurrection of the body ; (5) the second coming 
of Christ. All idea of future punishment was re- 
garded as a " relic of heathenisn," and " God a 
merciless tyrant," provided the doctrine ©f future 
punishment be true. But how is it now? Now 
they believe, yea, they declare that the Scriptures 
teach both future punishment and the existence of 



I 



THE ETEElSriTY OF PUNISHMENT. 11& 

a devil ! Well, they have made one step towards 
what they are pleased to style orthodox hell. 

We are certain that if Universalists now will try 
their hand on " Universalism Against Itself,'^ 
since Dr. Hall has revised it, they will get there 
with both feet. The way the matter now stands, 
Universalism is wonderfully spread out ; it stands 
with one foot on the threshold of an orthodox 
hellj while the other rests in the gateway to 
Catholic picrgaiory. 

The characteristic features of Universalism, 
since the arrival of John Murry in this country — in 
fact, from the time of its birth — have been vacilla- 
tion and doubt. It is purely a system of negation. 
It affirms but little, but denies everything ; it has 
no faith, but it is full of doubt and unbelief. It is 
a gloomy theory of doubts, and all it can possibly 
do for sinners is to furnish a palliation for their 
sins in the form of a placebo. 

Universalists have made one fatal mistake in 
their logic for which the people now are well pre- 
pared ; that is, they argue that the truth of uni- 
versal salvation depends upon their success in dis- 
proving the eternity of punishment. This by no 
means follows. If we were to grant now at the 
start that the word of God is as silent on eternal 
punishment as a grave-yard, this would not prove 
the truth of universal salvation. It does not nec- 
essarily follow that because the Bible does not 
teach eternal punishment Universalism must be 



120 THE ETERJSriTY OF PUIS^ISHMENT. 

true. But the Bible does most emphatically teach 
eternal punishment, in language that none need 
misunderstand. 

Now, the reader's attention is called back to the 
subject in hand: '' And these shall go away into 
eternal punishment ; but the righteous into eternal 
life.'' — Jesus. 

The chapter from which we have chosen our 
text, beginning at the 31st verse and running 
down to the end of the chapter, contains a graphic 
description of the final judgment of the world, 
from which we learn — 

1. That the judgment is to take place at the 
second, or final coming of Christ. This connects 
the judgment and punishment of the wicked with 
the second coming of Christ. That the final 
coming of Christ is meant (verse 31) is proved 
by the following points, which distinguish the 
final coming of Christ from his first: (1) He 
will " come in his glory ;" (2) That '' all the 
holy angels " he will bring '' with him ;" (3) That 
he will then '' sit on the throne of his glory." 

2. It shows that Jesus Christ is to be the Judge 
of quick and dead at that time. 

3. It shows that all nations shall be gathered 
before Christ, to be judged according to the deeds 
done in the body. 

4. It shows that the judgment " will bring a 
just sentence upon both parties, by giving justly 
to those who have done well an everlasting fru- 



THE ETERIS^ITY OF PUXISHMEl^T. 121 

ition ; but allotting to tlie lovers of wicked works 
eternal punishment." 

Here Jesus assigns the reason for this awfal 
separation at the final judgment. The bad are 
represented as utterly ignoring Christ by ignoring 
the conditions of their acceptance with Christ.! 
The good are those who had accepted Christ by! 
accepting the conditions upon which he ofiers 
eternal life. Hence, the final decision : " And 
these shall go away into eternal punishment ; but 
the righteous into eternal life." The very fact 
that eternal salvation is conditional, renders this 
whole matter plain and simple to the reader. Paul 
says : '' Though he was a Son, yet learned 
obedience by the things which he suffered ; and 
having been made perfect, he became unto all 
them that obey him the author of eternal salva- 
tion ; named of God a high priest after the order 
of Melchizedek." Heb. 5 : 8, 9. 

The reader will observe that in the King's Trans- 
lation of our text, the two terms, everlasting and 
eternal^ are both from the same Greek word, 
and therefore mean the same thing. But in the 
Revised Version the Greek word, aionion^ from 
which we have both everlasting and eternal^ is 
translated by the one English term, "eternal.'*^ 
Now, we have '' eternal punisliment " in the 
first clause of this sentence, and '^eternal llfe^'^ 
in the second, both uttered by the lips of Christ 
in the same sentence, in the same breath. The 



122 THE ETERNITY OF PUI^ISHMEXT. 

rale is, that a term when repeated in the same 
sentence, must have the same meaning. "Whatever, 
therefore, the term " eternal " means v^hen applied 
to the duration of punishment, it must mean the 
same thing v^hen applied to life. If it means un- 
limited life on the part of the righteous, it 
means unlimited punishment on the part of the 
wicked. There is no escape from this conclu- 
sion. This passage for this reason proves the 
eternity of punishment. So far as our text is 
concerned, it is absolutely declared that the 
punishment of the wicked after death is unlim- 
ited or eternal. 

We are willing that the whole argument shall 
turn upon this passage and the uniform use made 
of the term eternal — aionion — in the Christian 
Scriptures. By what authority do Universalists 
claim that the term .eternal is unlimited when 
applied to the righteous, Ibut limited when applied 
to punishment ? Just none under the heavens ! 
This is not argument, but miserable pettifoggery •, 
the most that can be said for it is that it is 
purely ][>Mlological nonsense! To further prove 
the eternity of punishment, we call the reader's 
critical attention to the use~ made of this term by 
Christ and the apostles in the ISTew Testament. 

1. The word eternal is applied to God. " 'Eow 
to him that is able to stablish you according to 
my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, ac- 
cording to the revelation of the mystery which 



THE ETERI^ITY OF PUISTISHMEI^T. 123 

hath been kept in silence through times eternal, 
but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of 
the prophets, according to the commandment of 
the eternal God, is made known unto all the na- 
tions unto obedience of faith," etc. Rom. 16 : 
25, 26. Here the endlessness of God's duration is 
measured by the same word that is employed to 
measure the duration of future punishment. 
eternal means unlimited duration, therefore. 

2. It is applied to the Holy Spirit. "How 
much more shall the blood of Christ, who through 
the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish 
unto God, cleanse your conscience from dead 
works to serve the living God ?" Heb. 9 : 14. 

3. It is applied to the happiness of the saved 
after death. (Matt. 25 : 46.) 

4. It is applied to the punishment of the 
wicked after death. (Matt. 25 : 46.) 

Thus you see that the eternity of God, of the 
Holy Spirit, of the happiness of the righteous, and 
the punishment of the wicked, is measured by the 
same term. The eternity of these persons and 
things is determined by the same term. Thus we 
learn the New Testament use of the term. You 
have the same right to doubt the eternity of God, 
or the hapx3iness of the righteous, that you have 
to question the eternity of future punishment. 

Again we insist that the Universalists are mis- 
erably unfair when they argue that eternal means 
eternal when applied to the future salvation of the 



124 THE ETEENITY OF PUNISHMEIS'T. 

righteous, but it means sometMng else when ap- 
plied to punishment ! Have they ever presented 
the world with the rule for such an interpretation? 
Have they ever offered a reason for such an inter- 
pretation ? JSTo ; they have done neither. Simply 
"because there can be no reason found for their un- 
warranted use of the Scriptures. 

Our next argument is based upon Matt. 10 : 28 : 
*' And be not afraid of them which kill the body, 
but are not able to kill the soul : but rather fear 
him which is able to destroy both soul and body 
in hell." From this passage we learn — 

1. That as the soul cannot be "killed" with 
the body, the soul survives the death of the body ; 
and both soul and body being " destroyed in 
hell," shows that hell — geTienna — denotes future 
punishment, which is inflicted upon the wicked at 
the j adgment, and after the re-union of soul and 
body at the great resurrection day. 

2. That notwithstanding the danger to which 
these disciples would expose themselves in going 
abroad to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom, the 
opposition could only " kill the body," but they 
were to fear to displease God by refusing to per- 
form this duty which would subject them to the 
danger of suffering the destruction of both soul 
and body in hell. 

3. The word Tiell^ in this passage, is not TiadeSy 
the intermediate, but geTienna^ the place of future 
punishment. 



THE ETERlSriTY OF PUNISHMEl^T. 125 

Our next argument is drawn from Luke 13 : 23— 
27: "And one said unto him. Lord, are they few 
that Tbe saved ? And he said unto them, Strive to 
enter in by the narrow door : for many, I say unto 
you, shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able. 
When once the master of the house is risen up, 
and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand 
without, and to knock at the door, saying. Lord, 
open to us ; and he shall answer and say to you, I 
know you not whence ye are ; then shall ye begin 
to say. We did eat and drink in thy presence, and 
thou didst teach in our streets ; and he shall say, 
I tell you, I know not whence ye are ; depart from 
me, all ye workers of iniquity." 

1. The "kingdom of God," whose "door" is 
to be "shut" against "all workers of iniquity," 
while they " stand without," is the eternal king- 
dom of glory, the future home of the saved. This 
is manifest from the 28th verse, for Christ says the 
kingdom he is talking about is the one to which 
"Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all the prophets," 
belong. Of course it could not mean the church or 
kingdom of Christ on earth, for the persons men- 
tioned were all dead a great many years before 
that kingdom was established. It could not mean 
the kingdom of Christ on this earth now, because 
all who "seek to enter" into that kingdom do 
enter ; the door of the kingdom of Christ on earth 
is never shut against any who " seek to enter." 

2. The wicked are represented as not being 



126 THE ETERNITY OF PUlSriSHMENT. 

able lo enter, and the reason assigned is that they 
have been " workers of iniquity." If the wicked are 
shut out of heaven by the " master of the house," 
and shall seek to enter and shall not be able, will 
this not be their condition through all eternity ? 
Certainly it must be true, unless our Universalist 
friends can show a promise of redemption applied 
to the inhabitants or gehenna. 

Universalis ts will have no little trouble to es- 
tablish a missionary post in hell, for the people 
can have no confidence in their ability to perform 
such a wonderful work, since, according to their 
teaching in tJiis worlds the salvation of the wicked 
does not depend upon preaching in the least. So, 
you see, they will, in the very nature of things, be 
compelled to change base again, if they do that, 
for preaching now cuts no figure whatever in the 
salvation of sinners in the present world. This is 
a plain case made out against the dogma of uni- 
versal salvation, and one that is a death blow to 
it. Let the reader examine this argument with 
great care, with the word of God in his hand, and 
we will be satisfied with the result. 

The next argument is drawn from Phil. 3:18, 
19, which runs thus : ''For many walk, of whom 
I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, 
that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ : 
whose end is perdition, whose god is the belly, 
and whose glory is in their shame, who mind 
earthly things." 



THE ETERN^ITY OP PUNISHMENT. 127 

1. Paul is here discussing human conduct and 
its influence on man's final destiny. He speaks 
of certain disorderly persons whose hearts and 
minds are absorbed with " earthly things," who are 
altogether led and controlled by the ^orZ of pas- 
sion and appetite. These he calls " enemies of the 
cross of CJirist.''^ 

2. Lest he should not be understood as teach- 
ing that the conduct of these " enemies of the cross 
of Christ" would determine their final destiny, 
Paul says : " Whose end is 'perdition.^^ Wow, if 
the end of the ^'enemies of the cross of Christ" 
is perdition^ then the question of the final destiny 
of the wicked of our race is settled, once for all. 
This is the end of the wicked, an end beyond 
which there is no other end. How, then, can the 
end of the "enenaies of Christ" 'h% perdition and 
salvation both ? Universal salvation, therefore, is 
impossible, while the eternal punishment of the 
" enemies of the cross of Christ" is certain. This 
is either true or Paul is not authority. 

Then, reader, the work of life is important ; out 
of that course we pursue in this world come the 
issues of life and death. Our hopes for the world 
to come are built upon what we do in this world. 
Our aspirations for the future must depend upon 
the realities of this present world. God has so 
ordained it, and there is no escape from it. The 
law of God, by which we are to be governed in 
this world, declares that " we should live soberly 



128 THE ETERIS'ITY OF PUNISHME]S"T. 

and righteously and godly in this present world. '^ 
Tit. 2: l2, 13. We learn from these Scriptures 
two important thoughts, namely : jirst^ that eter- 
nal salvation is conditional; and, second^ that the 
conditions must be performed in '^ this present 
world.^'^ We claim these two ^points already 
proved beyond the reach of controversy. Let those 
who pretend to believe in the final holiness and 
happiness of all mankind, regardless of conditions 
or character, grapple with these arguments if they 
will ! We have no kind of fear as to the results. 

Our next argument is based upon the Scriptures 
which declare that the sin against the Holy Spirit 
is neither pardoned in this world nor in the world 
to come. Matt. 12 : 31, 32 : '' Therefore I say unto 
you, every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven 
unto men ; but the blasphemy against the Spirit 
shall not be forgiven. And whosoever shall speak 
a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven 
him ; but whosoever shall speak against the Holy 
Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this 
world, nor in that which is to come." (See also, 
Mark 3:28-30.) Christ declares that this sin 
'' shall not be forgiven," '' neither in this world, 
nor in that which is to come." This needs no dis- 
cussion. If Christ is authority in the matter of 
the final destiny of our race, then the question is 
settled. But Christ is not authority with Univer- 
salists, it seems. This passage completely drives 
Universalists from their last and most favorite 



J 



THE ETERNITY OF PUNISHMENT. 129 

fort, namely, hell-redemption. For Christ plain- 
ly declares that this class of sinners " shall not 
be forgiven,^^ "neither in this world nor in that 
which is to come." If persons, therefore, enter 
the eternal world unforgiven and remain eternal- 
ly unforgiven, as this passage teaches, the only 
way Universalists can save them is to save them 
in their sins. Universalists argue that aion in 
this passage should be translated age^ and that 
Christ meant, " Neither in this age nor in that 
age which is to come." Very well, we accept 
that rendering as faithfully representing the origi- 
nal. Aion may be correctly translated by either 
age or ivorld. Then it would read after this man- 
ner : "- But whosoever shall speak against the 
Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither 
in this age nor in the eternal age to come.'^^ But 
they say, "this age and that which is to come," 
means the Jewish age and the Christian age to 
come. Very well, that view of the passage will 
not help them out, for if they send men thus guilty 
into eternity unforgiven, then again we say, it de- 
volves upon them to establish a missionary post in 
hell. Tlieir view, you see, forbids that these 
sinners can be saved in this world — the Christian 
age — ^lience, Universalists send the sinners of this 
passage to hell with no hope of redemption ! 

But " this world and that which is to come," 
does not mean the Jewish and Christian ages ; but; 
if it did, it defeats Universalism just the same. T i 



130 ^'HE ETEEJS^ITY OF PU]N^ISHMEiq'T. 

the 20th chapter of Luke, we have the same ex- 
pression, which will show the reader the daring 
effrontery of Universalists in trying to put a forced 
construction on this language. In Christ's answer 
to the Sadducees he says: ''The sons of this 
^world marry, and are given in marriage : but they 
that are accounted worthy to attain to that world, 
and the resurrection from the dead, neither 
marry, nor are given in marriage : for neither can 
they die any more : for they are equal unto the 
angels ; and are sons of God, being sons of the 
resurrection." 

Here this world (aion) means the present age, 
and the world {aion) to come represents the eter- 
nal age. This is proven by the following points 
in the passage, namely, (1) The people of this age, 
or world, marry and are given in marriage, but in 
the ^' world," or age meant by the world to come, 
they neither marry nor are given in marriage. (3) 
"This world" and ''the world to come" are di- 
vided, or separated, by the general resurrection. 
(3) Those accounted worthy to obtain the world 
to come are " equal unto the angels." (4) 
'"Neither can they die any more." Could these 
things be said of the Christian age ? No. In this 
world we marry and are given in marriage, nor are 
we sons of the resurrection yet. It would give us 
a, little trouble also, to prove that we don't die 
here, nor are we equal unto the angels in this 
country. These things were said of the resurrec- 



THE ETERlSriTY OF PUNISHMENT. 131 

tion state. Hence, those who die guilty of the sin 
against the Holy Spirit not only enter the eternal 
age unforgiven, but they are to continue eternally 
unf or given. All the sophistry of Universalism, 
from the time of Murry to the present, can not dis- 
pose of this passage. 

In Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians, 
first chapter, he says : ''So that we ourselves 
glory in you in the churches of God for your pa- 
tience and faith in all your persecutions and in the 
afflictions which ye endure; which is a manifest 
token of the righteous judgment of God; to the 
end that ye may Ibe counted worthy of the king- 
dom of God, for which ye also suffer : if so be that 
it is a righteous thing with God to recompense 
affliction to them that afflict you, and to you that 
are afflicted rest with us, at the revelation of the 
Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of his 
power in flaming fire, rendering vengeance to them 
that know not God, and to them that obey not the 
gospel of our Lord Jesus : who shall suffer punish- 
ment, even eternal destruction from the face of the 
Lord and from the glory of his might, when he 
shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be 
marvelled at in all them that believed (because our 
testimony unto you was believed) in that day." 

There are three important points in this passage 
to which the reader's attention is invited: (1) 
That those who obey not the gospel of our Lord 
Jesus, shall be punished; (2) That punishment 



132 Tin: eterxity of punishment. 

consists of eternal destniction from the face of 
the Lord and from the glory of his might; (3) 
That this eternal banishment is to take place 
'' when he shall come to be glorified in his 
saints," or in other words, at the second coming of 
Christ to judge the world in righteousness — the 
day of judgment. 

This passage, you see, like our text, is a positive 
proof of the eternity of punishment. The conclu- 
sion cannot be ignored. There is no possible es- 
cape from it. ''Knowing, therefore, the terror of 
the Lord, we persuade men " to '' follow peace 
Avith all men, and holiness, without which no man 
shall see the Lord." Then said Jesus: ''I go 
away, and ye shall seek me, and die in your sin : 
whither I go, ye cannot come." Jno. 8 : 21. 

TTe have now plainly proven the conditionality 
of eternal life, and the eternity of future punish- 
ment. Let the reader examine these arguments 
and Scriptures carefully, with a view to under- 
standing what the word of eternal truth teaches 
respecting the final destiny of the wicked, and he 
will see the nakedness of modern Universalism and 
the miserable blunders that theory makes in its 
use of the holy Scriptures. He will find that Uni- 
versalism is bogus all the way through ; a baseless 
fabric, without foundation in either the word of 
God or sanctified common sense. John T. Walsh 
says of Universalism: ''It is no better than 
Atheism. It is no better than Deism. It is no 



THE ETERISriTr OF PUNISHMENT. 133 

better than Infidelity. It is no better than Pa- 
ganism.'^ 

The following reasons for the above, from the 
same author, make the matter perfectly plain: 

'' 1. Universalism ignores faith in the existence 
of God in this life, as necessary to future holi- 
ness and happiness ; and is, therefore, a system of 
infidelity. 

"2, It ignores faith in Christ in this life, as 
necessary to future holiness and happiness ; and is 
therefore, a system of infidelity. 

^' 3. It ignores faith in the Scriptures in this 
life, as necessary to future holiness and happiness ; 
and is, therefore, a system of infidelity. 

"4. It ignores regeneration in this life, as nec- 
essary to future holiness and happiness ; and is, 
therefore, a system of infidelity. 

^' 5. It ignores a change of heart in this life, as 
necessary to future holiness and happiness ; and is, 
therefore, a system of infidelity. 

" 6. It ignores repentance in this life, as neces- 
sary to future holiness and happiness ; and is, 
therefore, a system of infidelity. 

^'7. It ignores confession and prayer in this 
life, as necessary to future holiness and happi- 
ness ; and is, therefore, a system of infidelity. 

" 8. It ignores obedience to the gospel in this 
life, as necessary to future holiness and happiness; 
and is, therefore, a system of infidelity. 

" 9. It ignores a holy life in this world, as nee- 



134 THE ETERJSriTY OF PUJSTISHMElSrT. 

essary to future holiness and happiness^; and is, 
therefore, a system of infidelity. 

"10. It ignores all the conditions of the gospel 
in this life, as necessary to future holiness and 
happiness ; and is, therefore, a system of infidel- 
ity. Thus, one loy one, does it render null and 
void the obligations of men to believe, repent, and 
obey the gospel. Thus, one by one, does it ex- 
tinguish the lights of heaven, and leave man to 
grope his way in darkness so intense that it may 
be felt!" 

May God help the reader to carefully and 
prayerfully consider this great matter. 

Dear reader, we are told that " we must all be 
made manifest before the judgment-seat of 
Christ ; that each one may receive the things done 
in the body, according to what he hath done, 
whether it be good or bad." Let us be awakened 
to the responsibilities and obligations of this life. 
If we are not awakened in this world to our du- 
ties, the time is coming when we, with all the 
"dwellers in the dust," will be called from our 
slumbering to render a just account for our con- 
duct in this world. 

''The trumpet sounds— Awake I 
Ye dead, to judgment come ! 
The pillars of creation shake. 
While hell receives her doom." 



THE SABBATH. 

The Sabbath was an institution of the law of 
Moses. It is first mentioned in Ex. 16 : 23-28, as 
a day to be observed by the children of IsraeL 
and afterwards it was re-enacted in the fonrth. 
commandment. Dent. 5 : 12. 

It is proposed in this short discussion to estab- 
lish the following propositions : 

1. The Sabbath is of the law, and not of the 
gospel. 

2. The Sabbath was given by Moses, and not 
by Christ. 

3. The Sabbath was given to the Jews, and ta 
no other nation. 

4. The law, of which the Sabbath was an in- 
stitution, was ''done away" at the coming of 
Christ. 

The first, second and third propositions of this: 
list, even Sabbatarians themselves admit to be 
true. So there remains but one of the whole list 
of propositions to be proved. 

/. Tlie Sabbath is of tlie law^ and not of {In- 
gospel. The truth of this first proposition is ad- 
mitted on all hands. Nobody disputes it. That. 
the Sabbatli, as an institution to be observed^ 
belongs to, and is a part of, the Jewish law, na 
sane man will deny. The only way a Sabbata- 

135 



136 THE SABBATH. 

rian could prove the Sa"bbatli binding on tliose 
who live under the Xew Testament dispensation, 
would be to either establish the fact that we are 
now under tlie laii\ or, in the second place, show 
that the Sabbath, as an institution, was re-enacted 
in the iS'ew Testament by Christ and the in- 
spired apostles. Neither of which can be done. 
There is not a shadow of evidence in favor of either 
being true, but to the contrary, the Scriptures ex- 
pressly declare that neither is true. So far, then, 
the question is settled. 

//. The Sabhath icas given hij 3Ioses^ omd not 
by CTirist, Will any one dispute the truth of this 
statement ? Xo ; the most superficial thinker 
will admit it. The Sabbath is an institution of 
the law, and John says : '^ For the law was given 
by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus 
ChiTSt.'' And we are not under law but under 
grace. No law or command of Moses can be bind- 
ing on the people of the New Covenant unless re- 
enacted by Christ. Does any Sabbatarian pretend 
that the New Covenant contains the command to 
" keep the Sabbath ?" No such law can be found 
in the New Testament. 

Where, then, is the authority ? Does not the 
New Testament teach us '*all things whatsoever" 
we are '' to observe ?" Yes. Very well, then, 
does it enjoin upon us to observe the Jewish Sab- 
bath as ^' a shadow of things to come, " declaring 
plainly that the substance of this shadow, or, in 



THE SABBATH. 137 

other words, the thing typified by the Sabbath, 
finds its antitype in the body of Christ? These 
are facts from which there is no escape. So far, 
so good. But let us continue the investigation. 

III, The Sahbath was given to tlie Jev:)S^ and 
to no other nation. None but Jews were everl 
commanded to keep the Sabbath, and none butf 
Jews were ever punished for violating it. The 
Sabbath was an institution of that law to which 
all other peoples were " strangers " and '' aliens." 

The Sabbath was, as has been stated, an in- 
stitution of the Jewish law, and of course was 
designed for the Jews only. This is admitted 
by all, and therefore needs no discussion here. 
Since Sabbatarians all admit that the Sabbath 
is an institution of the law of Moses, and also 
that it was given by Moses to the Jewish na- 
tionality only, they are logically forced to show 
the same law — command to observe the Sabbath 
— re-enacted by Christ in the gospel of our sal- 
vation, or their claim is lost without remedy. 
This they can never do. 

IV, The law of which the Sabbath was an 
institution^ was '' done away " at the comlnj of 
Chrid. Since the whole argument turns upon the 
proof of this statement, we shall give some atten- 
tion to the Scriptures to be employed as proof of 
this proposition. 

Heb. 7:12: '^ For the priesthood being changed, 
there is made of necessity a change also of the 



138 THE SABBATH. 

law." It must be remembered that the Old Cov- 
enant, or the law of Moses, was given to the Jewish 
nation under the Levitical or Jewish priesthood, 
'^ after the order of Aaron." (Heb. 7 : 11.) Here 
we learn that the law was to stand or fall with the 
priesthood. The Levitical priesthood was made 
the basis npon which the entire Mosaic Economy 
rested ; therefore, any change in the priesthood, 
'' of necessity," must effect that law which rests 
upon it. 

It was with reference to the priesthood that 
the law was given as a sort of civil code, to aid 
in the preservation of the Jewish nationality till 
the Promised Seed should come, who was to be 
our great High Priest, and whose priesthood 
was to be perfect. The law, therefore, resting in 
the priesthood, must be changed when that which 
necessitated it, that is, the priesthood was 
changed. So, you see, the law of which the Sab- 
bath was an institution, was " done away," or ab- 
rogated. This is positive proof, and settles the 
question. 

Heb. 8:6,7: " But now hath he obtained a 
more excellent ministry, by how much also he is 
the Mediator of a better covenant, which was es- 
tablished upon better promises." And again, 
'' For if that first covenant had been faultless, then 
should no place have been sought for the second." 
It will not be denied that the Sabbath belonged 
to the '' first covenant " and the ^'Lord's day " to 



THE SABBATH. 139 

the " second " covenant, " established upon "better 
promises," The first came by Moses, the second 
by Jesus Christ. The man who contends for the 
Jewish Sabbath must either be ignorant of the 
place the New Testament occupies in the rev- 
elations of God to man, or wilful in his rejection 
of the authority of Christ. 

In Gal. 3 : 18, 19, Paul says : " For if the inher- 
itance be of the law, it is no more of promise : but 
God gave it to Abraham by promise. Wherefore 
then serveth the law ? It was added (to the prom- 
ise) because of transgressions, till the seed should 
come to whom the promise was made ; and it was 
ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator." 
In the same chapter Paul gives us the purpose of 
the law, on this wise : '' Wherefore the law was 
our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we 
might be justified by faith. But after that faith 
(that is, the system of faith) is come, we are no 
longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the 
children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." Tliis 
was said of the Jews to whom the law was given. 
So far as the Gentiles are concerned, they were 
never under the law. Hence, the Sabbath never 
was binding on the Gentiles. When Christ came 
and established the New Covenant on " bet- 
ter promises," he divorced the Jewish nation from 
the law of Moses with all of its institutions. 
''Wherefore, my "brethren, ye also are become 
dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye 



140 THE SABBATH. 

should be married to another, even to him who is 
raised from the dead, that we should bring forth 
fruit unto God/' (See Rom. 7 : 1-4.) 

Finally, as positive proof that the law of which 
the Sabbath was an institution, was " done away " 
in Christ, we cite 2 Cor. 3 : 4-15. Will the reader 
please examine this Scripture. " And not as 
Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the 
children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the 
end of that which is abolished." Christ was the 
end of the law, or in other words, Christ was the 
object for which the law was given. But the 
Jews, like the Sabbatarians of the present time, 
€ould not see the purpose of the law. 

'' Old things are passed away ; behold, all things 
are become new, " and all the Jews who accepted 
the Christ, were " changed into the same image 
from glory to glory ;" they passed from the glory 
of the Mosaic Economy to the glory of the Chris- 
tian Economy, which '^ excelleth " and^'remain- 
eth." 

desig:n' of the Jewish sabbath. 

The most interesting study in the world of 
thought is the design of things, and more especial- 
ly is this true of the institutions of the Bible. In 
fact, the design of things lies at the very founda- 
tion of a correct Bible knowledge, and the enjoy- 
ment of the blessings of Revelation as well. It is 



THE SABBATH. 141 

qnite certain that the institution of the Sabbath, 
as a day to be observed by the Jews, does not ante 
date the deliverance of the Jews from Egypt. The 
Sabbath of the creation was distinguished above 
other days (Gen. 2 : 3), but not as a day to be ob- 
served by man, but " because on it he rested from 
all his work, which God created in making it." In 
connection with the six creative periods we have 
the Sabbath period, beginning immediately at 
the close of the sixth period of creation. And 
this Sabbath has lasted ever since, and will con- 
tinue till God begins the creation of the "new 
heaven and the new earth." 

Twenty-five centuries elapsed from the begin- 
ning of Genesis to the time of Moses, when the 
Sabbath of the Jewish law was instituted for the 
observance of the Jewish people. No mention is 
made of the institution till we come to the camp of 
Israel after they had crossed the sea under the 
leadership of Moses. We are, therefore, to look 
after the design of the Jewish Sabbath, the Sab- 
bath of the law, given to the Jews by Moses, 
and not the Sabbath of creation. 

/. It was commemorative. 

It is unquestionably certain that the Sabbath 
was instituted to preserve the memory of Israel's 
salvation from Egyptian slavery. In keeping the 
Sabbath, the Jews honored the memory of that 
grand event in the history of their past. The Sab- 
bath was designed to call to remembrance the 



142 THE SABBATH. 

event of their deliverance from bondage. It was 
designed to preserv^e the remembrance of that 
awful event, just as the Lord's Supper is in- 
tended to preserve our memory of his death in 
order to our salvation from bondage to sin. Now 
that we have clearly stated the proposition, sup- 
pose we refer you to positive proof of the same. 

" And remember that thou wast a servant in the 
land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought 
thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a 
stretched out arm : therefore the Lord thy God 
commanded thee to keep the Sabbath." Deut. 5: 
15. " Therefore," that is, for this reason, " the 
Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the Sab- 
bath." Is this plain enough ? Tliis positive dec- 
laration sets the matter at rest. God has assigned 
his own reason for the command. This establishes 
the proposition that the Sabbath was given to the 
Jews, and to no other nation. But this is not all 
of the design of the Sabbath. 

^. It was typical,. 

The Sabbath of the law was a type. This ques- 
tion should be settled first. See Col. 2 : 14-17 ; 
"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in 
drink, or in respect of a holy day, or of the new 
moon, or of the Sabbath days : which are a 
shadow of things to come ; but the body is of 
Christ." This is easy to believe when taken in 
connection with the fact as stated by Paul, that 
the law was but a " shadow," or faint outline, of 



THE SABBATH. 143 

the good things of the kingdom of Christ yet to 
come. 

The Sabbath was typical, " emblematical, figur- 
ative ; representing something future." What did 
it typify ? What did the Sabbath represent ? The 
Sabbath was a type of rest to the souls of men, in 
Christ. Rest from physical labor is understood 
in the type, but the antitype contemplates rest 
from the burdens of sin. 

Take the language of our Lord, in Matt. 11 : 28, 
29, and you will find the grand lesson of the 
typical signification of the Jewish Sabbath : 
" Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy 
laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke 
upon you, and learn of me ; for I am meek and 
lowly in heart : and ye shall find rest unto your 
souls." 

N"ow, with the commemorative and typical sig- 
nifications of the Jewish Sabbath before us, let the 
reader imagine Moses standing at the head of the 
marching hosts of Israel, with his arms stretched 
out from his body, with his left pointing back to 
the deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage, 
and his right hand pointing down through the fu- 
ture to the coming of Christ and rest to the soul in 
him ; and you have a faint idea of the design of 
the Sabbath of the law. The Sabbath thus stands 
between the two great events — the one celebrated 
by the Sabbath and the other typified by it. The 



144 THE SABBATH. 

Sabbath begins with the one and ends with the 
other. 

The Sabbatarian idea that the Catholics changed 
the Jewish Sabbath and gave the world the Lord's 
day in its stead, is fabulous and false. The 
Sabbath was an institution of the Mosaic law and 
passed away with that law, of which it was a part. 
" The Lord's day," " the first day," like the " IS'ew 
Covenant," is a neto day. It is a burning shame 
and disgrace that the. sectarian world persists in 
calling the ''Lord's day " the Sabbath. The word 
Sabbath never was applied by any divine au- 
thority to any day except the seventh. Let us 
be careful what we say. Call Bible things by 
Bible names and all will be right. 

1. The Sabbath is one of the Ten Command- 
ments. Ex. 20 : 8 ; Deut. 5 : 12. 

2. It is the seventh day. Ex. 20 : 10 ; Deut. 5 : 
14. 

3. The Ten Commandments are called a law. 
(Ex. 24 : 12). This is the law that came by Moses 
(Jno. 1 : 17), which Paul says ''was our school- 
master to bring us unto Christ, that we (Jews) 
might be justified by faith." " But after that faith 
(the system of faith) is come, we are no longer un- 
der a schoolmaster." (Gal. 3 : 24, 25.) This law, 
therefore, has been displaced by the gospel of 
Christ. (2 Cor. 3: 7-15.) 

4. The Ten Commandments are called a cov- 
enant. Ex. 34 : 27, 28 : Deut. 4:13. 



I 



THE SABBATH. 145 

5. This covenant was between God and the 
children of Israel. Respecting this covenant Paul 
says, ^'For if that first covenant had "been fault- 
less, then should no place have been sought for the 
second.-' . Heb. 8 : 7. Paul says : " But now hatk 
he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how 
much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, 
which was established upon better promises." 
Heb. 8 : 6. 

6. The Sabbath is a part of this covenant. And 
if the covenant is done away, the Sabbath is^^ 
also done away. 

7. The Sabbath is a memorial of the deliv- 
erance of the children of Israel from Egyptian 
bondage (Deut. 5 :15). If the Sabbath was a me- 
morial, it is not a moral precept. 

8. The Sabbath was made for man (Mark 2: 
27). So were the sacrifices of the law of Moses, 
and also circumcision. But this does not prove 
that these are still binding on mankind. 

9. The law, the Ten Commandments, or the 
Old Covenant, given by Moses to Israel, which in- 
cluded the Sabbath, was written on two tables of 
stone (Ex. 31 : 18. Deut. 4:13). 

10. But that which was written on the tables of 
stone is called the " ministration of death," and 
" to be done away." (2 Cor. 3 : 3-11). 

11. The Sabbath, therefore, is " do7ie away^'^ 

10 



146 THE SABBATH. 

with the law of which it was a part, and is not 
Mnding on us. 

Let the above Scriptures and propositions be 
carefully and honestly examined, and we will be 
satisfied with the result. 

May the Lord bless every soul that reads the 
word of eternal truth with a view to understanding 
It, is our sincere prayer. 



TEUE LOYALTY. 

*' And they reviled him, and said. Thou art his disciple; but 
we are disciples of Moses. We know that God hath spoken unto 
Moses: but as for this man, we know not whence he is.''''—Jno» 
9:S8,29. 

This chapter records one of the grandest and 
most eminently instructive lessons in all revela- 
tion. It becomes intensely interesting to the Bible 
student, as he sees portrayed in this chapter the 
goodness of God and the mission of his Son to this 
world, on the one hand, and on the other hand a 
vivid picture of human weakness, so developed as 
to exhibit to our view its characteristic ugliness. 
This chapter should be read with very great care 
and studied prayerfully. This is a record of one 
of our Lord's miracles, which stands to this hour, 
and will to the end of the world, as the golden key 
that unlocks and opens to our view the object of 
Christ's mission to earth. 

At the command of the Lord the blind man 
washed in the pool of Siloam, and "came see- 
ing." He did just what the Lord required, and as 
a result was restored to sight. His physical 
condition exactly represented the moral condi- 
tion of the world at that time. And one of the 
objects of this miracle was to convince the peo- 
ple then that Jesus had come into the world to 
dispel moral blindness. ''As long as I am in 

147 



148 TRUE LOYALTY. 

the world, I am the light of the world." This 
divine interposition was evidently designed to 
demonstrate his power to accomplish that end. 
The world at large was morally as blind as the 
subject of this miracle was physically "blind. 
And notwithstanding the power of Jesns, he com- 
mands that the blind man " go, wash in the 
pool of Slloam," thus indicating clearly that 
man's salvation from moral darkness — spiritual 
blindness — would turn upon his compliance with 
the law, or command, of the Christ. All of this 
seems to be evident from the answer Jesus gives 
to the question, " Master, who did sin, this man, or 
his parents, that he was born blind?" The dis- 
ciples, it will be observed, had the correct idea of 
sin and its effects, hence they desire to be informed 
as to the cause of this blindness. The question 
with them was, whether the cause was in the child 
or his parents. ''Jesus answered, IsTeither hath 
this man sinned, nor his parents : but that the 
works of God should be made manifest in him." 
Now, as to whether this answer alludes to God's 
purpose subserved by the miracle, in the estab- 
lishment of the claims of Christ, or whether it 
really was designed to explain the cause of the 
man's blindness, is a problem hard to solve. 
One thing is certain, if the answer was intended 
to impart the information sought for by the dis- 
ciples, then we are forced to the conclusion that 
the answer of Jesus explains the cause of the 



TRUE LOYALTY. 149 

man's blindness, as well as the purpose of Ms 
being restored to sight. That God purposed his 
blindness that his own works might be made man- 
ifest, is jnst as reasonable as the peculiar manner 
in which Moses was brought up that he might be fit- 
ted for the work of redeeming Israel from Egypt. 
If this blindness, as Jesus says, was not the result 
of any one's sin, it must be the result of God's pur- 
pose. For the ISTew Testament Scriptures recognize 
all physical frailties, and death itself, as in some 
way resulting from sin. "While his blindness was 
not the result of his own or his parents' sins, it 
does not necessarily follow, of course, that sin 
could not be the cause, for it could have been 
inherited from earlier generations. But we infer 
from Christ's answer that the blindness was not 
the result of sin at all. 

The jealous Pharisees reviled the man whose 
eyes had been opened for his faith in the Lord, 
saying, " "We are disciples of Moses. We know 
that God hath spoken unto Moses : but as for this 
man, we know not whence he is." This is evident- 
ly a case of pretended loyalty, outright hypoc- 
risy, for had Moses been present they would 
have been the very first to stone him, and the 
loudest in their cries against him. ITotwithstand- 
ing Moses had been dead for many hundred 
years, yet they boasted of their devotion to him. 
They boasted of their loyalty to Moses while they 
were disloyal to Christ. Their faith, if they had 



150 TRUE LOYALTY. 

any, looked "backward ; their allegiance to God 
was purely a thing of the past. They pretended to 
love Moses while they hated Christ. They clung 
with an unyielding tenacity to the deadMoses^ but 
"bitterly rejected the limng Christ. This back- 
looking loyalty has marked all the ages of the 
past, and the people who now live are badly 
touched with the same weakness. 

We all delight to honor Abraham Lincoln 
now ; we revere his name. But while he lived 
many criticised him severely. And, in fact, he 
died at the bloody hands of a cruel assassin. 
The same thing, in part, is true of George "Wash- 
ington. After the hard fought battles are over, 
how natural it is for some people to file into line 
and enrol their names as battle-scared heroes. 
This is true in every department of life. There is 
plenty of this hacJc-action devotion now in the 
world. This Mosaic loyalty is still common. 
Moses is dead, and the people have a new man and 
a new issue before them, and it is loyalty to the 
present Law-giver and faith now^ that the world 
wants. Jesus, in this case, suffers just what every 
true gospel preacher suffers now. The church now 
is full of modern Pharisees. See them as they 
boast of their loyalty to the preacher who preced- 
ed you. What a grand man he was ! Their faith 
and love and confidence all are in the past. They 
sigh for the return of the good old days, but 
never think of improving the living presenty that 



TEUE LOYALTY. ^ 151 

some poor living preaclier may be made happy. 
It is the living, present, struggling issues, the 
battles that are now to be fought, we need to 
stand by. The Christ who lived eighteen hundred 
years ago is the present Christ. He reigns now. 
Let us be loyal to him. Faith in Jesus Christ, 
to be effective, must be faith now^ it must lay 
hold on the present. How we love and revere 
the fathers, yet how shamefully we neglect the 
sons? N^ever mind the past, but let us file into 
line for the war that sin is now waging. The 
present tests our loyalty, and not the past. We 
glory in the truth that triumphed in the apos- 
tolic age, then allow what some Christians style 
a '' calf^^ — an organ in the church — to run us 
wild into perdition. We hold in sacred memory 
the heroic fight of Martin Luther against the 
Pope, yet we are disloyal to Christ. Some men 
will undertake to excuse their disloyalty to the 
present by avowing loyalty to the past. This is 
a great mistake. 

If we are not loyal to the Christ now^ if we are 
unfaithful to the 'present duty, if we ignore tlie 
present struggle against sin, all our faith in Moses 
will avail us nothing. 

It is an easy matter for persons now to talk 
flippantly about the Campbells, Johnson, Stone 
and other grand reformers ; about the '^ Bible and 
the Bible alone ;" to boast of their loyalty to tlie 
" ancient order of things," then turn around on 



152 TRUE LOYALTY. 

their loyal heel and inaugurate a war on the use 
of the organ in the churches, and pursue it till the 
cause of Jesus Christ is made to "bleed at every 
pore and sectarianism is established upon its 
ruins. Are there any marks of loyalty in this 
oourse of conduct ? It is the kind of loyalty found 
in our text ; it simply amounts to disloyalty in the 
end. This is simply an attempt to excuse disloy- 
alty to Christ nom by avowing loyalty to great 
and good men in the past. Our faith should be in 
the present, and we should always be ready to 
Bhow our faith by our works. There is nothing 
WTong in looking back with grateful hearts, so 
long as we do not neglect the present ; but when 
.a man neglects the duties of the present to boast 
of his loyalty to the past, he is guilty of the 
^ame weakness that the jealous Pharisees of our 
text were. We should be generous as well as 
just. The present is the test of our loyalty. 
Paul lays down the principle by which we 
. should be willing to be governed in this matter : 
''^ Brethren, I count not myself to have appre- 
hended : but this one thing I do, forgetting those 
things which are behind, and reaching forth unto 
those things which are before, I press toward the 
mark for the prize of the high calling of God in 
Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be 
perfect be thus minded : and if in any thing ye 
l)e otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this 
unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have al- 



TRUE LOYALTY. 153 

ready attained, let us walk by the same rulp, 
let US mind the same thing." Phil. 3 : 13-16. 

Now, we invite the reader's attention to the fact 
that the same argument made "by the Pharisees 
against the faith of the people in the Healer of the 
Mind man, is now made in the political arena, and! 
is designed to accomplish the same thing, namely,! 
to destroy the confidence of the common people in 
the ability of this nation to make and enforce 
laws that will destroy the rum power in this coun- 
try. So, you see, we have political Phariseeism as 
well as religious Phariseeism. 

The Pharisees then refused to believe that Christ 
had healed the blind man, because the healing 
took place on the Sabbath day. They declared 
that, '' This man is not of God, because he keepeth 
not the Sabbath day." With them it was purely 
a question of time. The Pharisees now, like the 
Pharisees then, have no special objections to urge 
against the prohibition of the whiskey traffic, 
except that of time. They tell us ^' the people are 
not ready for such a law," and for that reason 
" prohibition," they say, '' will not prohibit." 

The Pharisees argued then that public senti- 
ment was not sufficiently educated for the es- 
tablishment of Christianity. Pharisees now argue 
that public sentiment is not ready for prohibitory 
laws. The Pharisees then boasted of their loyalty 
to the great leader and the issues of the past, ig- 
noring the present with its living issues and 



154 TEUE LOYALTY. 

its living Christ. The Pharisees now in the lead 
in the political struggle for office and spoils boast 
of their devotion and loyalty to the leaders and is- 
sues of the past, utterly ignoring the present, liv- 
ing issues of the country. They are now, as they 
were then, earnest advocates of party policy, but 
the bitterest enemies of living principles. They 
then apologized for their disloyalty to present, liv- 
ing principles, by declaring themselves in favor of 
dead issues of the past. The Pharisees then 
were wonderfully in love with the dead Moses, 
but they hated the living Christ. The Pharisees 
now are wonderfully in love with Washington 
and Lincoln, but they hate the loud cry of bro- 
ken-hearted mothers and wives for the destruc- 
tion of the rum power. 

The Pharisees of old feared that Christ and 
Christianity might materially interfere with their 
'^personal liberty," hence they were opposed. 
The thief who murdered the sheriff and broke 
jail, did it in defense of his own " personal lib- 
erty." The Democratic and Republican parties 
are parties of policy only. Their loyalty, love 
and faith, are spent on men and things of the 
past. They are careful about policy, but have a 
burning hatred for principle. They attend in 
mourning the memorial day set apart in respect to 
the fallen heroes of the late war, but they turn a 
deaf ear to the cries of their widows and orphans 
for protection against the outrages of the rum power. 



TRUE LOYALTY. 155 

They boast of loyalty to our government and its 
flag, and cast their votes in favor of common 
drunkenness. They vote whiskey saloons on the 
innocent and helpless women and children of this 
country, against their will and earnest prayers, 
and when the poor heart-broken woman and her 
ragged children fall on their knees and beg and 
cry for the removal of these hell-holes, the cow- 
ardly and Pharisaical reply is : " Ladies, we 
would inform you that we were not elected on that 
issue, and besides, we are opposed to any measure 
that will, in the very nature of things, infringe on 
the personal rights and liberty of our constit- 
uents !'' Is this true loyalty ? No ; it is disloy- 
alty, to all intents and purposes. May God save 
us from both religious and political Phariseeism. 
Let us reform. "The money made by immoral 
means is worse than counterfeit. It damns the 
man and will damn the people that love it." — 
Beecher on distilleries^ in ISlfB. 

THE OBJECT OF PROHIBITIOIsr. 

1. It is designed to oppose a traffic that robs 
women and children of food and clothing, and 
health and home, wrecks manhood, corrupts so- 
ciety, debauches morals, sends our boys as crim- 
inals to the prisons of this country, crushes the 
hearts of fathers and mothers and brings them in 
sorrow to the grave. 



156 TRUE LOYALTY. 

2. Another object of prohibition is to save this 
country $900,000,000 of money a year. 

3. To save the American people from the awful 
disgrace of legalized drunkenness. 

4. To reconcile capital and labor and to re- 
ward honest labor. 

5. To protect the family, which is the funda- 
mental organization of good government and 
Christian civilization. 

6. To destroy the evil effects and demoralizing 
influence of the rum power upon civil government. 

7. To remove from our midst one of the greatest 
obstructions in the way of the world's conversion 
to the religion of Jesus Christ. 

Brethren, we exclude from our fellowship all 
persons who become common drunkards ; yea, 
more, we tell them that they will be excluded 
from heaven. Now, can we be consistent Chris- 
tians when we vote for license, high or low, thus to 
legalize the liquor traffic^ that our families and the 
church may be filled with drunkards, and at the 
same time we refuse to fellowship these legally 
manufactured drunkards ? " Come, let us reason 
together." No drunkard shall inherit the king- 
dom of heaven. Be careful how you vote. Yote 
as you pray. Make a record that you shall not 
be ashamed of when you come to judgment. No 
man shall be expelled from the Church of Jesus 
Christ on the account of being made di'unk on the 



TEUE LOYALTY. 157 

liquid hell sold to Mm hy my vote, Never^ no 
never. 

" What place doth Satan like the best ? 
Where does he sit, and smile, and rest. 
And plant the greatest social pest ? 
At the saloon. 

** Where does Old Kick erect his throne 
Of kegs and bottles, blood and bone, 
And rule in power all his own ? 
At the saloon. 

"What makes the drunkards how^l and hoot, 
And curse and swear, and fight and shoot, 
A nd play the demon and the brute ? 
The saloon. 

" Where do we find the meanest hole. 
Where men in foul pollution roll, 
And kill the body and the soul ? 
At the saloon. 

*' Where do we find the liquid fire, 
Where hope and joy and life expire. 
Where bloody, hellish deeds transpire ? 
At the saloon. 

"Stand firm, ye friends of truth and right; 
Take God's armor, march and fight; 
The victory gain, through moral might, 
O'er the saloon." 

Let us be loyal to Christ, true to our convictions 
and earnestly devoted to the "best interests of a 
perishing world. 



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